[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO SUSAN PRATHER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 2008

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today along 
with my colleague, Congresswoman Ellen O. Tauscher, to commemorate and 
celebrate the life and accomplishments of life-long Contra Costa County 
resident and untiring social service advocate, Ms. Susan Prather. For 
over 30 years, Susan Prather successfully battled the establishment at 
all levels of government on behalf of our most vulnerable citizens--our 
homeless. Sadly, on July 29th, she lost her own battle with cancer, and 
we all lost a true treasure in our community.
  Susan's commitment to the needs of the homeless began in 1976, when 
she was working at a senior meals program and was confronted with the 
struggles of the homeless and poor of Contra Costa County. Using her 
own financial resources, she began by single-handedly providing what 
help she could. She held down multiple jobs to support herself during 
the day; after hours she traveled the streets of Richmond, Concord, and 
Berkeley helping the homeless one client at a time. Her commitment to 
her clients of all ages often took her to their encampments with city 
and county officials and even Members of Congress in tow. She is well 
known for the tremendous pressure she put on public officials to make 
the concerns of the poor and homeless a top priority and increase both 
funding and services nationwide. She wanted to make sure that those in 
positions of power could put a face to the problem of homelessness.
  In 1999, the City of Walnut Creek hired Susan to initiate the 
outreach program now known as Fresh Start. Under Susan's direction the 
program proved highly successful. When the funding ran out a short 2 
years later, Susan transitioned Fresh Start into a private non-profit 
organization and it flourished under her leadership, In her role as 
Founder and Executive Director of Fresh Start, Susan provided her 
clients with clothing, meals, showers, counseling and other critical 
social services. She has helped countless residents find jobs and 
establish homes for themselves and their families.
  Over her years of service, Susan Prather has been recognized by a 
long list of government agencies and private organizations for her 
outstanding community work. In 1994, the California State Assembly 
recognized her efforts in a formal resolution. In 2002 she received the 
``Women Working for Justice'' award from the Contra Costa County 
Commission for Women. In 2004, she was Honorably Mentioned at the 
Contra Costa County Humanitarian of the Year Awards Ceremony. Also in 
2004, the Walnut Creek Journal named Ms. Prather one of the ``Six 
People Who Made Our Lives Better in 2003''. Susan certainly made life 
better for the countless poor and homeless residents of Contra Costa 
County and in doing so, she raised the quality of life for us all.
  To Susan's family and friends, we extend our heartfelt condolences. 
Your loss is shared not only by those who knew Susan personally, but 
also by all who have been touched by the work she has done. We will be 
forever grateful for the courage, compassion, integrity, and tenacity 
with which she sought to make our community a better place for 
everyone. Susan Prather will be deeply missed and in her memory, we 
must vow to continue the work she started.

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