For the third year, a team of young people and adults from St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo will spend a week of their summer vacation reaching out to children and families in need in Tijuana.

The team is participating in a project called Young Neighbors in Action. Work assignments include volunteering in homeless shelters and soup kitchens, assisting with recreation and tutoring programs, and helping with clean-up, painting and minor repairs for families in need. In recent months, parish youth have prepared for this experience through educational and fundraising activities, and involvement in local service ventures.

The team will include students Andrea Aguayo, Gabrielle Alviz, Guadalupe Castells, Marc Esseff, Megan Melinkovich, Mark Odell and Spencer Wendt, and adult advisors Alma Amador, Edgar Alviz, Maria Castells, Daniel Neff, Ana Odell and Scott Boczek, parish youth ministry coordinator.

St. John's honors two with achievement awards
Automobile dealer Leo Bunnin and Dr. H. Allen Hooper were honored June 6 by St. John's Healthcare Foundation with the Catherine McAuley Lifetime Achievement Award at St. John's "Adventure Gala" in Westlake Village, which benefited St. John's Regional Medical Center, Oxnard, and St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital, Camarillo.

Bunnin, of Bunnin Automotive Group, was recognized for his consistent generosity and strong commitment to the community. He has led campaigns to raise money for medical equipment at St. John's, and donated vehicles to various worthy causes.

Hooper, who has worked in Emergency Medicine at St. John's hospitals since 1982, was recognized for his years of service to Ventura County. He has served as a St. John's Healthcare Foundation Board member, and as president of the Ventura County Medical Association and the American Heart Association.

The award is named after Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, who exemplified dedication in providing the sick and poor with medical care.

St. Joseph prepares for 75th
As part of its 75-year anniversary celebration, St. Joseph Church in Carpinteria will host its annual parish festival July 11-13. A formal celebration of the milestone anniversary is planned for mid-September. For information, call (805) 684-2181.