ANC Hollywood Joins Thai CDC At Annual Community Fairy
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By Asbarez Staff on Aug 7th, 2009
HOLLYWOOD – The Armenian National Committee of Hollywood participated
in the Thai Community Development Center’s 9th Annual Live, Work, &
Play in East Hollywood Consumer Resource and Health Fair on July
25. The event was held at the Hollywood and Western MTA Portal Plaza,
an intersection point of Thai Town and Little Armenia. Joined by the
Armenian Relief Society of Hollywood, the ANC Hollywood provided
translating services for Armenian-speaking visitors, mediating
conversation between Armenians and the over 40 community organizations
that participated in the fair.
`It was great being here today to help provide translating services
and connect members of the community,’ said Paul Seradarian, ANC
Hollywood Executive Committee member. `Organizationally, it was a
wonderful opportunity to get to know some of our fellow organizations
working hard to make Hollywood a better community for all of us.’
Pheel Wang, the Thai CDC project manager in charge of organizing this
year’s fair was pleased with the increased Armenian American turnout.
I think this year we saw a lot of Armenians coming out, especially
because of the ANC’s efforts,’ she said. She noted that she
approached the ANC Hollywood to participate in the event because of
the extensive overlap of the Armenian and Thai communities in the
Little Armenia district of Hollywood.
ANC Hollywood members and volunteers visited the booths lined along
the metro plaza sidewalk and introduced themselves to organizations as
diverse as the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council and Consumer
Action. They also passed out fliers informing the community of its
upcoming events, including a small business tax seminar being
organized by the ANC Hollywood in collaboration with the California
State Controller’s office. The event will take place in late October.
Assisting the ANC Hollywood were high school volunteers who took part
in the community fair with great enthusiasm.
`It is very ambitious and cool for the ANC Hollywood to reach out
beyond the Armenian community,’ said Astkhik Hakopyan, senior at John
Marshall High School. `It is important for us to be an active part of
the larger Hollywood community. That in and of itself is important,
but it also means that being supportive of others will encourage
others to be supportive of us.’
Other event participants included groups that provide health services
and information, such as the Martin Luther King Medical Center and the
Asian American Drug Abuse Program. Among the other organizations were
CAUSE, which registers voters for upcoming elections, and the
Community Redevelopment Agency, which focuses on Hollywood
infrastructure development. Newly elected California State Senator
Curren Price also welcomed the fairgoers visiting booths including the
ANC Hollywood’s.
`The event was well organized and the volunteering was a good outreach
effort. We should always seek more involvement between our community
organizations,’ said Nick Davtyan member of the Armenian Relief
Society’s staff who participated in the fair.
Baydsar Thomasian, Senior Field Representative of California Assembly
Member Kevin de Leon, addressed those in attendance and highlighted
the interactive spirit of the event.
`Please give yourselves a big hand. I want to salute all of you,’ she
said, `I love seeing the Latino community, the Armenian community, and
the Thai community working together and volunteering their time and
services this Saturday morning.’
The ANC of Hollywood promotes greater understanding of issues of
concern to the area’s Armenian American community and strives to
increase Armenian American civic participation at the grassroots and
public policy levels.