Countywide : 18 Will Receive Awards for Human Rights Work

Eighteen people will receive awards from the Orange County Human Relations Commission for their contributions to human and civil rights issues in Orange County during the past year.

The awards banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Costa Mesa Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa.

The ceremony marks the 14th anniversary of the Human Relations Commission, formed by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Recipients are: Paula Margeson for her work with disabled people; Gilbert Melendez, who works with low-income families; Henry Sandoval, who works with Latino seniors; Mai Cong, founder of the Vietnamese Community of Orange County Inc.; Scott Mather, who looks for food and shelter for the homeless; David Quezada, who works with tenants in Buena Clinton; Carmen Sarati, who finds housing for families misplaced by stepped-up code enforcement, and Narda Zacchino, editor of the Los Angeles Times Orange County Edition.

Also honored will be: Paul Apodaca, a human rights advocate; Angie Camacho, who advocates rights of undocumented workers; Msgr. Wilbur Davis, a human rights advocate; Maya Dunne, a fair housing activist; Mary Farley, an advocate for low-income people; Sadie Reid, an activist in women’s rights and civil rights; Dick Ruiz, deputy director of the county’s Social Services Agency, and Greta Zamora, a health educator and champion of farm laborers’ rights.