Over the past several years, City of Hope has made significant strides in reaching out to local residents and neighbors. These efforts have helped improve the dialogue between City of Hope and the community, while providing a venue for neighbors to learn more about City of Hope and to voice their concerns.

To further these efforts, City of Hope’s Department of Government and Community Relations partnered with the City of Duarte to host a biannual community forum.

Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of City of Hope, opened the forum with a Medical Center update that included information about planned campus facilities, including the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology, as well as parking facilities, Walk for Hope, and our partnership with Duarte High School and Duarte’s Promise through the Regional Occupation Program. Duarte’s Promise is a mentoring program for local youths.

Duarte City Planner Ed Cox presented information about the Duarte city-wide lighting and landscape district project, the City of Duarte General Plan, and proposed multi-use recreational trail projects.

On March 29, City of Hope also served as the host site for the Duarte State-of-the-City address and Community Employee-of-the-Year Awards presentation. The event kicked off with a performance by the Pasadena YMCA High Spirit Dancers. Following the performance, Duarte Mayor Tzeitel Paras-Caracci presented the State-of-the-City address on topics from city revenues to the city-wide picnic. The Community Employee-of-the-Year Awards rounded out the event.

“City of Hope is very proud to be an educational and job resource for the San Gabriel Valley, as well as an integral part of the Duarte and Irwindale communities,” said Kristen Pugh, City of Hope associate vice president, Government & Community Relations. “Not only is it important for us to keep our neighbors informed, but it is critically important that we partner with local, state and federal officials on community events, while serving as a resource to them whenever possible.”