HUNTINGTON PARK — Lorena Gonzalez wanted to serve the community, but could not gain appointment to the city’s Youth Advisory Commission because she lives just outside the city limits in Walnut Park.

So the 17-year-old student at Bravo Medical Magnet School in East Los Angeles, with the help of her mother, Marilyn, founded her own community service group.

The Multi-Taskers started with five youngsters last summer and now has 12 youths, age 13 to 18. All live in Huntington Park except for Gonzalez and her siblings.

As chapter coordinator, Gonzalez presides at the monthly meetings at 2 p.m. the first Saturday of the month in the Recreation Building at Salt Lake Park, 3401 E. Florence Ave.

The group first met in the park, then the library before getting their permanent location, said Gonzalez, who is spokesperson for the group, prepares agendas for all meetings and oversees the progress of committees and projects undertaken by the chapter.

The meetings are open to the public. Interested parents and youngsters who would like to join are welcome, she added.

“We are the Huntington Park chapter of the Los Angeles Youth Council,” said Gonzalez, whose group was recently honored for its volunteer work in the city and Los Angeles at a meeting of the Huntington Park City Council.

Their activities include tutoring students at Miles Elementary School, serving meals and cleaning up at the Union Rescue Mission and Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles.

They have cleaned up trash at Salt Lake Park, and supervised children at a petting zoo during the city’s Three Kings Procession Jan. 6 on Pacific Boulevard, which offered a manger scene with live actors portraying the Holy Family and a pony, goats and sheep to give it a barnyard look.

They also supervised children and helped pass out treats at the Santa Villages set up on Pacific Boulevard on weekends prior to Christmas by the Greater Huntington Park Area Chamber of Commerce.

Group members also conducted a food drive to collect non-perishable items for the needy at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some of the food went to the Ronald McDonald House, Lorena Gonzalez said.

“Our mission is to get young people involved in community service,” said Marilyn Gonzalez.

The Multi-Taskers have attracted several members from the same family. Besides Lorena, the group includes her brother, Andrew, 13; and two future members, Erika, 11; and Melissa, 8.

Other siblings in the membership include Allan and Wendy Ramirez, 16 and 13, respectively; Melissa and Manisha Sajnoni, 16 and 13, respectively; and Michelle, Jolen and Marco Reid, 18, 13 and 15, respectively.

Rounding out the current membership are Eduardo Alverez, 14; Anthony Lopez, 13 and Luis Rodriguez, 16.

Future events, said Marilyn Gonzalez, include a college preparation workshop to advise high school students about going to college. The workshop is set for 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 20 and Feb. 27 at the Huntington Park Library, which is co-sponsoring the free event and a Ponytail Drive this summer.

The latter calls for women to donate eight inches of their hair, to be used to make wigs for those who have lost their hair because of treatment for cancer and other ailments.

“It takes 24 inches of hair to make one wig,” said Marilyn Gonzalez, who adds she is seeking help in the cutting from beauty and hair salon owners and employees and from hair styling students at area colleges.

Lorena is the daughter of Marilyn and Jose Gonzalez. The family has lived in Walnut Park 17 years,

Besides leading the Multi-Taskers, Lorena is in the USC Medical Corps program for future doctors. She plans to be a pediatrician and has applied to medical schools at UCLA and Stanford University. Besides her academic achievements, she also excels in sports, participating in track and field and cross country at her high school the past three years.

“I was the cross country champ last year. This year I’m on the schools’ Academic Decathlon Team,” she noted.

Gonzalez said her group has been helped by Assistant Police Chief Lee Alirez, Park and Recreation Manager Jossette Espinosa, and Huntington Park Library Manager Martin Delgado.

“On behalf of my chapter and me, we really want to express our gratitude to the city of Huntington Park in supporting us grow and making our community a place to be proud,” she said.

Concerning the Multi-Taskers, Lorena says: “I am glad I have been able to get youths involved in community service. Some people think young people don’t do much for the community. I want to show them that youths can do positive things.”

She admits it’s not all work.

“I’m having fun,” she said.

Information: Marilyn Gonzalez at (323) 547-4077.