Grateful giving

Lolita Harper

Cadillac Escalades and rusty ten speeds were parked outside Someone

Cares Soup Kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.

A man with a shiny gold watch put his arm around an elderly man

who wore glasses with broken frames, sharing a tale that made both

men chuckle. A young woman, dressed in the latest cargo pants and

jean jacket, was serving cold drinks to a young teenager wearing dime

store threads.

Mother Lourine Clemons, whose skin was a rich shade of mahogany,

fixed the bib around the neck of the little girl sitting next to her,

whose skin was as pale as porcelain.

Despite stark contrasts between those at the soup kitchen on

Thursday, one common theme was plentiful: Gratitude.

Gratitude shared for the food on their plate or for the honor of

people able to give back to the community. One volunteer described it

as, “humbling.”

The Someone Cares Soup Kitchen planned to serve about 500 people

this holiday, said manager Shannon Santos, the granddaughter of soup

kitchen founder, Merle Hatleberg. There was food for about 750

people, cooked by chef Michael Kang, and 125 seats to house a

rotating shift of patrons, she said.

“We’ve got every thing,” she said. “Light meat, dark meat, mashed

potatoes and gravy and Merle’s Wisconsin Green beans -- made from a

secret family recipe. You’d have to kill me to get it. And we’ve got

rolls and pie, too.”

Those armed with gigantic spoons, aprons and plastic gloves were

cheerful and laughing, striking up friendly conversations with their

customers and colleagues. Those on the receiving end gratefully took

their food to their seats, where they reunited with old friends from

their respective shelter, or made new ones on this day of thanks.

Peter Henry, a resident of Bethel Towers and frequent patron of

the soup kitchen, thanked Santos for everything.

“Thank you, thank you,” he said, while he finished his meal.

As he went to throw his plate away, he stopped and turned back

around.

“No, really, thank you,” Henry added.

Clemons, a mother of two daughters, 8 and 10 years old, said she

was spending Thanksgiving with her friend from a shelter -- a man,

whose wife recently passed away, with two twin toddlers and a

14-year-old boy.

“I’m helping him out with the girls and everything, you know, in

light of what happened,” she said, as she fixed a bite of food for

one of the blond-haired little girls. Clemons said the two families,

who have become one in recent weeks, would hang out at the soup

kitchen and then, “just head back to the shelter, I guess.”

On the other side of the food line, former Newport Beach mayor

Evelyn Hart, was busy serving rolls with a smile.

“Isn’t this great?” she asked, and then turned her attention to a

hungry customer who wanted some more butter for his roll.

Hart glanced at her watch. It was 1:30 p.m. and hurriedly untied

her serving apron. After nearly three hours of volunteering, it was

time for a change of pace. She said she was heading home. To do what?

“Serve food to people,” the she said with a hearty laugh. “I have

20 people at my house waiting for me. The food should be about ready

to pull out of the oven.”

But during the lunch hour, on what would be another ordinary

Thursday, her family could wait. It was important for her and the 40

or so other volunteers to help those less fortunate on a day that

should be anything but ordinary.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at

[email protected].