Costa Mesa group to honor Hoag Hospital

Lolita Harper

One deals with employment, the other with health care.

One creates and files resumes, the other checks pulses and blood

pressure.

One promotes doing things yourself, the other reminds people that

expert care is necessary.

Both offer opportunity. Both have reason to celebrate May 9.

Youth Employment Services of the Harbor Area Inc., a help center on

19th Street in Costa Mesa, will honor Hoag Hospital’s Department of

Community Medicine at the 29th annual Roman Feast and Charity Auction

next month.

Officials from the employment center will thank hospital director Gwyn

Parry and his department for their dedication in providing medical

services to the community.

The Department of Community Medicine was created to support charitable

programs that promote wellness, Parry said. His program reaches out to

the underserved communities to offer access to health care that may

otherwise be nonexistent.

Parry’s team of medical professionals provides medical services at

Share Our Selves, Families Costa Mesa, Someone Cares Soup Kitchen,

Friends In Service to Humanity, and Costa Mesa and Oasis senior centers,

as well as various other programs throughout the county.

Medical care is important for all people, regardless of income level

or immigration status, Parry said. Everyone should have access to the

proper health care to ensure overall community wellness, he said.

Parry describes his work as a “charitable opportunity for the hospital

to give back to the community.”

Giving people a chance binds the Department of Community Medicine to

the Youth Employment Service, he said.

“The beauty of YES is that it is an organization that takes teens and

connects them with opportunities to improve their lives and find

employment,” Parry said.

The job center program’s clients range in age from 14 to 22, director

Lynne Graham said. It’s open Monday through Friday and helps about 1,400

people per year.

The annual Roman Feast serves as the major fund-raising event of the

year and is designed to bring in support for pre-employment job-seeking

skills, such as resume writing, job referrals and interview training,

Graham said.

Aside from honoring Parry and his department, the event will showcase

live jazz entertainment, dinner, a reception and a silent auction.

FYI

What: 29th annual Roman Feast

When: 6 to 10 p.m., May 9

Where: Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave.

INFORMATION: (949) 642-8306