Volunteers Are Honored at an Awards Luncheon

Local volunteers who have helped improve the lives of others were honored Friday at the Calabasas Inn at the 2000 Golden Rule Awards luncheon co-sponsored by JC Penney and the Panorama City-based Volunteer Center of Los Angeles.

The agencies that the volunteers worked for received $1,000 and finalists’ agencies received $250.

Awards were given to Patricia Franco, a parole agent who started an organization to motivate C-average students; the Brite Lites Theater Co. at New Horizons, a musical dance troupe of developmentally-disabled adults; 13-year-old Nikolaos Milonopoulos, who co-founded an anti-violence lobbying group called Kidz Voice-LA; and Elizabeth Abugayda, who organized Granada Hills High School’s Parent Center, which is used to coordinate volunteers on campus.

Abugayda volunteered full-time when her two sons were attending Granada Hills High, raising money for the band program and helping register students on 100-degree days before the school had air conditioning. Even though her youngest son graduated last year, she continues to volunteer every Friday at the school.

“Her loyalty has been steadfast over the years,” said Principal Kathy Rattay, who nominated Abugayda. “She’s well-organized and she never praises herself. She always gives others credit for her work.”

The finalists included Sylvia Becerra, who expanded the Lutheran Social Services food pantry in Van Nuys into an emergency-assistance center; Aaron Ruben, an 86-year-old court-appointed special advocate for the Los Angeles County Child Advocate’s Office; and Jack and Jacque Butler and Cherry Teter, volunteer dog trainers for Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar.

Other finalists were the Gift of Christmas, a group of volunteers that hosts holiday activities for low-income families; Harris Hodge, a volunteer at Pacoima Middle School; Violet Hutchens, a certified tutor for the San Fernando Valley Literacy Council; John Graas, a 17-year-old who delivers meals for Project Angel Food; and Mavis Sarabia, a 12-year-old volunteer with L.A.’s BEST After School Enrichment Program.