EL Camino College President Brenda Thames, second from left and Los Angeles County Supervisor, Holly J. Mitchell, fourth from left, pose for a picture with honorees during the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at ECC. Photos by Jose Tobar/The Union
On Wednesday, Nov. 17, El Camino College, along with L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s office, Healing California and the Warrior Pantry hosted the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event on-campus.
During the event, veterans, ECC students and members of the community were invited to take advantage of a variety of resources and services provided for them free of charge.
Food, clothing, dental and vision care services were provided from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the Student Services building, along with haircuts, manicures and legal advice.
A number of veterans were honored with an L.A. County certificate recognizing their achievements, sacrifices and efforts.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell gives a speech thanking military veterans For their service during the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event co-hosted by El Camino College, Supervisor Mitchell’s office and Healing California on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at ECC. Veterans and community members alike were provided with boxes of free food, gift cards, eye, dental care and a host of other services free of charge. Thanking those in attendance, Mitchell asked for everyone to pause for a minute, “to acknowledge the people being recognized…and congratulating our veterans for their unwavering commitment…,” she said. Photo by Jose Tobar/The UnionVeterans Services Assistant Director Brenda Threatt Receives a commendation from Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell during the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event co-hosted by El Camino College, Supervisor Mitchell’s office and Healing California on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at ECC. “Not only has she made today’s event possible through her steadfast partnership,” Mitchell said acknowledging Threatts work, “She’s also dedicated her life and career to serving veterans here at El Camino College as a military officer for the California State Guard, Executive Director of U.S. Vets Long Beach and the list goes on.” Photo by Jose Tobar/The UnionU.S. Navy Vet Martin Torres receives a free haircut by cosmetology department students under the supervision of El Camino College cosmetology instructors, Charlene Brewer-Smith and Margaux Gonzalez. “I was invited by the Veteran’s division and I signed up. I came here, I did the dental, vision and now I’m getting a free haircut,” Torres said. Photo by Jose Tobar/The UnionDr. Hayk Martirosyan, left, and Dr. Piyush Karia, right, attend to a patient during the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at El Camino College where free food and services like dental work were provided for veterans and community members alike. Photo by Jose Tobar/The UnionChristopher Xavier Lozano, 58, army veteran, photographer and writer gets his eyes checked out through an autorefractor machine used to determine a patient’s correct lens description during the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at El Camino College. Over the course of his life, Xavier experienced homelessness as a veteran, worked as a photographer for years within and outside the military and as studio makeup artist in the porn industry and later in Hollywood where he worked on movies like “The Passion of Christ” and “Benjamin Button”. Photo by Jose Tobar/The UnionA detail of the many patches that army veteran and photographer, Christopher Xavier Lozano, 58, has woven into his jacket over the course of his military career. “You can point to any patch and I could tell you every story behind it,” Lozano said. Photo by Jose Tobar/The UnionEl Camino student success coach, David Ruiz, 27, loads a box of free food giveaways into a car driven by a member of the community during the Veterans and Community Thanksgiving event at ECC. Photo by Jose Tobar/The Union
Editors Note: Photos were resized for readability on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2021 at 11:45 p.m.
