Promoting service

June Casagrande

A uniform hush fell over all 1,700 high school students as the

news sank in: 25% of all Afghanistan children won’t live to see age

5.

Masterfully drawing such contrasts between the peace and privilege

of Newport Beach life and the rest of the world, Peace Corps Director

Gaddi Vasquez delivered a powerful message at Corona del Mar High

School’s third annual Community Service Day. The showcase of

volunteer opportunities brought representatives of nearly two dozen

community and social service agencies to the school, whose graduating

class last year dedicated more than 20,000 hours of community

service.

“The commitment to the community that we make as a school is

something we’re really proud of,” Principal Sharon Fry told the

students, school district dignitaries and volunteer agency

representatives assembled in the gymnasium.

Building on Fry’s comments, keynote speaker Vasquez called on

students to do even more to help people whose lives are very

different from their own. Himself an Orange County native, Vasquez

proudly recited the area’s blessings: excellent schools, good health

care, a high standard of living with many comforts and luxuries.

“Most people in the world go to sleep hungry. Would we accept that

in Orange County?” Vasquez asked. “We need to help those who are

hungry and impoverished and ailing.”

Vasquez, a former Orange County supervisor, emphasized that there

are many ways a student can make a difference in their own

communities or in places abroad. And now, he said, it’s more

important than ever.

“Sept. 11 changed everything. It changed how we live as Americans.

It changed how the world views us.”

He recounted a story from his recent visit to Morocco, where he

met a young man interested to know more about America. At one point,

the young man noted that Vasquez, a son of Latino immigrants, didn’t

look American.

“That tells me that we have to do a better job of showing the

world what America’s all about. The world needs to know that

Americans come in all colors and races,” he said.

The Peace Corps was begun in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy

with that goal in mind: promoting peace and freedom and friendship

throughout the world, Vasquez noted. The corps’ 7,000 volunteers,

ages 19 to 82, serve two-year tours for no pay in some of the most

impoverished countries in the world.

“All the agencies you see here today have people who believe in

what they do,” he told the rapt audience. “You need to be a part of

that process.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.