From the Newsroom:

We all hear the grumblings about immigrants, illegal or otherwise, and how they are viewed as taxing our economy, social service sector and schools.

But the spotlight is rarely given to the immigrants doing something good for the community.

Today, some 200 seniors at the Costa Mesa Senior Center are going to be the direct beneficiary of a homemade Thanksgiving lunch, bought and paid for by someone who immigrated to this country 26 years ago.

His name is Surat Singh, the owner of Angel’s Auto Spa on the corner of Fairview Road and Newport Boulevard and someone we should all be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

“He just gives from his heart,” Aviva Goelman, the executive director of the senior center said of Singh.

“He keeps telling me ‘get more people, get more people.’ He’s always there for us. He just loves the seniors.”

Indeed, for the last eight years, Singh has sponsored the Thanksgiving lunch, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today.

“He lets me hire a chef,” Goelman said. “We order fresh turkey. Everything is homemade.”

I had the pleasure of meeting Singh this past summer. I had heard a lot about him over the years and paid a visit to his auto detail shop to see if he could remove an odor from our car that was driving my wife nuts.

He did a great job, but even better, the whole visit gave me the opportunity to learn more about him and his remarkable life.

He came to the United States in 1984 with just $500 in his pocket.

Within two years, he was able to purchase Angel’s Car Wash, which at the time was located on 17th Street near the Ralphs market.

He later sold that building and moved into his current location in 1998.

Singh counts among his many friends, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, former Mayor Gary Monahan, Mayor Allan Mansoor, council members Linda Dixon and Eric Bever, and former Police Chief Dave Snowden.

He told me is interested in running for City Council someday and may when the time is right.

Singh, who was the recipient of the Costa Mesa Mayor’s Award in 2002, is a big supporter of President George Bush and last summer was able to attend a dinner with and meet the president in Washington D.C.

It was a big highlight for this man who is so grateful for all he has and is so thankful for America and what he has accomplished here.

So why does he choose to support the seniors?

Goelman said it all started several years ago when she was having her car washed at Singh’s business.

“We just sat and chit chatted, and he asked me what I do for a living,” she said. When she told him, he immediately offered his help.

“He told me once that seniors are the forgotten generations and we need to give back to the seniors,” Goelman said. “We wouldn’t be educated or wouldn’t be anywhere without them. He wanted them to have something special.”

Singh confirmed that with me.

“People don’t care about the elderly people,” he said. “I feel I should do something. They should feel they are not alone.”

Goelman reminded me of a couple things.

She noted that the suicide rates for seniors increase during the holidays, so it’s important to remember them this time of year.

Also, she reminded me the Costa Mesa Senior Center, which serves low-income seniors, is still recovering from a fire that hit last August and destroyed a computer room and two rooms nearby.

It was a small fire that did a lot of damage, Goelman said.

And that’s even more reason for her to be thankful for people like Surat Singh.

“I keep inviting him to come to be acknowledged,” she said. “But he asks for nothing. He just wants to see pictures (from the event). I think we are lucky to have him in Costa Mesa.”

I couldn’t agree more.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Thanksgiving Lunch at the Costa Mesa Senior Center

WHERE: 695 W. 19th Street., 92627

WHEN: 11 to 1:30 p.m. today

FOR MORE INFOrmation: (949) 645-2356

TONY DODERO is the Daily Pilot’s director of news and online. He may be reached at [email protected] or at (714) 966-4608.