Oceanside CA— Mr. Gerald Wesley Hampton was named as the 2017 recipient of the City of Oceanside Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award at the annual commemoration celebration hosted by the North San Diego County Branch of the NAACP and the City of Oceanside on January 16, 2017.
Hampton, a longtime member of the Oceanside community, exemplifies the philosophy and ideals of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through his noteworthy volunteerism and community activism. Mr. Hampton’s volunteer roles are many and wide-ranging and include serving in homeless shelters, holiday food drives, toys for tots, and facilitating financial literacy. His work with youth in job preparation skills is also commendable.
Gerald Hampton, retired U.S. Marine Corps, has been a long-standing member of the North County chapter of NAACP and served in key positions in the Oceanside branch, including as a Board member. His additional volunteer roles include with organizations such as Palavra Tree, the Nonprofit Management Institute (NMI), Our Prodigal Daughters (OPD), Life Apostolic Ministries (LAM), North County Retired Military Association (NCRMA) and KOCT.
Mr. Hampton has been described as “an advocate for the disenfranchised, a listening ear for those who need to talk, and a real friend when you need one.”
The Community Service award is an annual award given to a resident of the City of Oceanside or MCB Camp Pendleton who exemplifies the ideals and teachings of Dr. King and who has served the community in volunteer activities over a long period of time.