Pete Schabarum

In response to “Schabarum--End of an Era” (Metro, March 3):

“Acerbic, conservative, tightfisted,” say what you will about Pete Schabarum, there is another side to him, “caring, concerned, involved.” Working at a senior center, I encounter people in desperate situations, lacking the health or ability to resolve major problems involving county benefits.

One was a poor Latina with terminal cancer who couldn’t get the correct form of Medi-Cal. Her family was faced with huge medical bills, harassment from collection agencies and fear of losing their home, while trying to deal with her illness. Efforts I made to help got nowhere; turning to Schabarum brought immediate assistance. There were several similar situations in the past, and Schabarum’s staff was always ready to help.

JOANNE GONZALEZ, Program

Coordinator, Claremont Senior Center