LISTEN TO RICHARD HOR HERE:
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Last Saturday, the Community for Creative Nonviolence held a day-long celebration to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Located in downtown D.C. at 2nd and D Streets, northwest, CCNV operates a homeless shelter that accommodates 1400 people. It is the largest shelter in Washington and relies on private donations for 100 percent of its funding.
CCNV Board Member Richard Hor standing in front of the shelter
CCNV was founded as part of a nonviolent protest against the Vietnam war. In the late 1970s, it developed into an association to protect the rights of the homeless. CCNV Board Member Richard Hor discussed the history of CCNV and the legacy of Mitch Snyder, who was instrumental in the 1980s in preventing the DC government from shutting down the shelter.
CCNV has been at this location since the mid-1980s. Talking about the current battles the homeless face, Richard Hor said “Right now, we don’t have someone like Mitch Snyder here today. There are still a lot of little battles with the government back and forth pulling for homeless rights, but we don’t have a Mitch Snyder today.”