Porterville doctor to speak at gang awareness summit

GOSHEN — Porterville pediatrician Ramon Resa has been tapped to recount his experience as a survivor at the upcoming Tulare County Gang Prevention Task Force summit in Goshen.

Resa will speak to parents about overcoming obstacles, and share his personal experience of growing up as a farmworker in a family of 15 and eventually becoming a doctor.

Abandoned by his single mother, who had five children before she was 20, Resa grew up in Goshen in an environment of severe poverty, neglect and a total disregard for education. He had to overcome low self-esteem, a speech impediment and even opposition from his grandparents, who wanted him to get a factory job and pay them back for taking him in when no one else wanted him.

But Resa persisted and eventually fulfilled his dream. For the past 20 years, he has been in private practice in the same California farm region where he grew up.

“I see myself in many of my young patients who come from farmworker families as I did,” Resa said in a news release. He travels the Central Valley spreading his message of hope as a motivational speaker. “My mission is to be a role model who cares for their minds and spirits as well as their bodies.”

The gang awareness summit takes place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 21 at Goshen Elementary School, 6505 Avenue 308, Goshen.

Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley said the gang awareness summit’s goal is to inspire Goshen families to live violence and drug-free lifestyles, pursue educational achievement and connect to their community in a positive manner. Worthley, who represents Goshen, said parent empowerment is an essential part of the Step Up Goshen & Unite Summit.

“Parents are the key to reaching out to youth,” Worthley said in the news release. “If our Step Up effort helps strengthen parents’ relationships with their children, we’ve succeeded. One way we can help parents is by providing them with techniques that empower their families to live violence-free and drug-free.”

The Step Up forum seeks to empower parents and youth with techniques provided by motivational speakers, who will host separate workshops focused around messages targeting youth and adults. Organizers have arranged for a resource fair staffed by more than 45 community-based organizations, local government agencies and faith-based groups who will provide information to parents and youth. Participants will have opportunities to sign up and volunteer with various organizations in their community.

Tulare County Supervisor Phil Cox, in the same news release, said Resa’s message is sure to resonate deeply with parents, because the doctor grew up within their very own community.

The Step Up Goshen & Unite Summit is a collaborative project developed by the Step Up Task Force, a regional coalition comprised of the general public, media, local businesses, faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, schools, local government and law enforcement agencies.

Anyone interested in attending, volunteering or other forms of support should contact Jed Chernabaeff, 636-5000 or by e-mail, stepuptc@co.tulare.ca.us.

-- Contact The Recorder newsroom at 784-5000, Ext. 1043.