Children climb on a playground set in front of the Gary Center at the end of a tranquil cul-de-sac. A few steps away, inside the center, their mothers and fathers are in counseling sessions or parenting classes, learning how to handle stress without violence or alcohol and how to better care for themselves and their families.

The Gary Center's quiet demeanor in La Habra's Guadalupe Park cannot begin to convey its interconnecting services to communities in North Orange County and beyond. It was founded in 1971 by Hope and Allen Stafford as a drop-in drug treatment center in memory of their son Gary.

Today, it is a multifaceted social service agency, with programs in domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, conflict resolution, gang diversion, immunization, teen pregnancy prevention, dental services, literacy and english as a second language, as well as individual, group and family counseling in English and Spanish.

In 1999, the Gary Center served 7,550 people, numbers that will increase with a recent expansion of its building, funded in part by a $100,000 Weingart Foundation grant. The center purchased a house next door to double its bustling dental clinic - one of the few non-profit full-mouth restoration clinics in Orange County - from two to four chairs.

People are asked to pay whatever they can, but no one is turned away because of financial status. "We're here for the poorest of the poor," says Martha Lester, executive director.

Rosa Elena Rivera was one of those people in need. She came looking for help in communicating with her teenaged son and daughter. She stayed for parenting classes and counseling that began to address years of domestic and childhood abuse. "I learned how to talk to my children," she says. "I gained control of my life. The Gary Center has helped in so many ways."

At the Friday food distribution, women line up with shopping carts and baby strollers for bags of staples, fruit and vegetables. The groceries are free, in exchange for some of their time. Each must agree to take 12-week parenting classes, where they will acquire new skills and a valuable support system.

"Our mission is to help the child, and in order to help the child we help the whole family," says Lester. "In this way, we foster a healthy community."