La Colonia Group Honored for Efforts

Jesus Rocha was in a gym in Oxnard’s La Colonia neighborhood Monday night, coaching volleyball practice and watching the Lakers’ game with a dozen youths.

Just a few hours earlier he was at the Warner Center Marriott, accepting a Community Partnership Award from the Los Angeles Times before 400 community leaders.

Rocha’s organization, El Centrito De La Colonia, was one of three Ventura County nonprofit groups recognized Monday by The Times’ Ventura County and San Fernando Valley editions for providing outstanding services to the community.

Each Community Partnership Award carried a $5,000 grant. The newspaper awarded a total of $50,000 to 10 organizations.

The Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo was honored in the youth and education services category with a grant to its Academic Olympics Program, which serves children ages 6 to 18.

In the senior citizen services category, the Fillmore Senior Center was honored for its community services program, which aims to promote the physical, mental, social and economic well-being of senior citizens.

For Rocha, the awards ceremony was only a brief interruption in a busy schedule of community service.

At El Centrito De La Colonia, Monday night’s activities included not only the volleyball and basketball, but also a Mexican folk-dance practice for 35 youths at the group’s storefront headquarters.

“What we’re trying to do is get back to the tradition of social service that is grass-roots and that is accessible to the community that it serves,” said Rocha, who directs the 3-year-old agency with his wife, Luann.

The other winners were the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Canoga Park, TreePeople in Studio City, Antelope Valley Special Olympics, Families Caring for Families/Partners for Infant Needs of Lancaster, 31st District Parents, Teachers and Students Assn. in Van Nuys and the Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre.

This is the sixth year the awards have been given.