October 21, 2019

Representative Mike Levin Names North County Civil Rights Activist and Volunteer Gwen Sanders as Constituent of the Month

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) named Gwen Sanders, a longtime North County San Diego resident, civil rights activist, and volunteer as his Constituent of the Month for October. Gwen has given back to North County communities through decades of volunteer service with the North County Chapter of the NAACP, the City of Oceanside, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and more.

Earlier this year, Representative Levin launched a Constituent of the Month program to recognize outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County Residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and make the country stronger. Levin’s Constituent of the Month for August was Executive Director and Principal Scientist of the Nature Collective, Doug Gibson. His Constituent of the Month for September was North County LGBTQ Resource Center founder Max Disposti.

To nominate a resident of the 49th District to be the Constituent of the Month, the nomination form can be found here.

See below for Rep. Levin’s statement recognizing Gwen Sanders:

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Gwen Sanders, a North County San Diego resident, as my Constituent of the Month. Gwen has dedicated her life to giving back to our community and volunteering for a wide range of organizations throughout the region, including the North County Chapter of the NAACP, the City of Oceanside, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and more.

As a longtime civil rights activist, Gwen received the NAACP Woman of the Year Award, the Oceanside Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award, as well as several recognitions for her community service. She has volunteered for the Oceanside Police and Fire Commission, the Community Relation Commission, and led a program to help local students pursue higher education. Gwen’s long track record of public service goes on, and there is no question that her dedication to serving our community has made Oceanside and all of North County a better place to live. Gwen personifies John F. Kennedy’s famous quote: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Gwen’s public service is commendable, and it’s important to note that she did all of this work while also raising two children, two grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. She is also a two-time breast cancer survivor, liver transplant recipient, and awaiting a kidney donor. I’m in awe of all that Gwen has accomplished in the face of these extraordinary challenges, and I am deeply grateful for her service. I am proud to recognize her as my Constituent of the Month.

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