Press Releases: Southern California
June 25, 2004
9,000 volunteer hours from Pacoima to Cerritos
Sixteen students change L.A. one good deed at a time
LOS ANGELES –Sixteen high school and college students from L.A. County, who donated a combined total of 9,000 volunteer hours in two years, will receive community service scholarships today from the Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center.
The Bill Coggins Community Leadership Scholarship Awards, ranging from $250 to $1,000, will be presented at an annual event that honors local graduates who overcame obstacles to achieve academic success—all while serving as community leaders.
Each scholarship recipient has an inspiring story. Joe Ulloa, of Boyle Heights, who will attend University of Southern California, donated more than 600 volunteer hours as a tutor and mentor at the Dolores Mission. "I've shown that I can influence my community without being a superhero in tights. It's not about being Superman—it's about being a man for others," he said.
Monique Bustos, of Alhambra, said she volunteers because, "I do not want to be the type of individual who only dreams of changing the future. I want to be that one individual who actually changed it." The Pasadena City College student volunteered more than 200 hours in a hospital's cardiology department.
The event also will honor: Michael Caswell (La Cañada), Linell Edwards (Los Angeles), Vanessa Rojo (Los Angeles), April Kubachka (Redondo Beach), Kelly Sorrenti (Harbor City), Noel Bernabe (Pacoima), Tarrance Maxie (Los Angeles), Jennifer Ceci (Escondido), Lawrence Lipana (Los Angeles), Simon Hanna (Los Angeles), Juan Muñoz (Pasadena), Keicha Browner (Los Angeles), Kjelli Holmes (Los Angeles) and Kristine Gamboa (Cerritos). All are available for interviews.
The award recipients were selected from among 80 applicants who demonstrated commitment to community service. The Center established the annual award in 1997 to encourage student community service and academic success. It was named in honor of Bill Coggins, the founding director of the Watts Counseling and Learning Center. In 1996, the American Association of Health Plans presented the first AAHP national Community Leadership Award to the Center for its many years of service to the Watts community. The Center used the accompanying cash award to fund the scholarship program.
For nearly 35 years, the Center has offered free or low-cost counseling, educational therapy, summer camps, preschool and after-school child care for families living in the Watts area. The families need not be members of Kaiser Permanente to take advantage of the Center's services.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
