Burgess arrived in Lewiston in 2000 with AmeriCorps; his service included responding to the 9-11 terror attacks. He also responded to hate crimes with the Red Cross on a local level prior to leaving with AmeriCorps to NY.
While responding to a possible fire on Ash Street, he was exposed to his first hate crime toward the local Muslim community. His brother, Alan Burgess, who died as a street patrol resource in Mosul, Iraq, was the inspiration for Burgess to establish the Pierce Street Resource Center in his memory.
Burgess became a certified chaplin and completed school with multiple degrees. He was a board member of the Visible Community and Many and One Coalition, workeing on cultural issues. He was the cultural education director at the YWCA and the Youth Teen Center Specialist at the YMCA. He also supported individuals being discharged from various institutions in Maine.
As a board member of Karious of Maine, he was able to continue to make sure the training and resources continued in a non-direct way. In 2007 he trained with the doctors who operated AMHI in Augusta. L-A Rotary meets every Thursday at The Village Inn; lunch is available for $14. Guests and visiting Rotarians are always welcome. For more information, visit www.lewistonauburnrotary.org and www.facebook.com/lewistonmainerotary/ or contact club President Celeste Yakawonis, 207-713-7111.
