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.
