Offering up a feast

Deirdre Newman

Myra Valdez rummaged through a pile of clothes that filled a long

table, holding them in front of her to see if they would fit. Soon,

she had a pile of shirts of various colors and patterns stacked on

her shoulder.

The mother of four came to the St. Joachim Thanksgiving feast for

those in need Wednesday and was thrilled to see a smorgasbord of

clothes as well as a hearty meal.

“It’s really nice what they’re doing -- the food and giving us

clothes,” Valdez said.

This is the third year the parishioners have hosted the feast to

share their abundance with the community, the Rev. Joe Robillard

said.

“Each year, it’s gotten better,” Robillard said. “The first year,

we had more food than people. Last year, it was better organized.

This year, we have toiletries and food.”

Co-chair Regina Consoli said the church anticipated serving more

than 400 people Wednesday. Those who came dined on a sumptuous feast

of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables,

cranberry sauce and pie. They also got whole pies to take home with

them.

“This is excellent,” Consoli said as she surveyed the satisfied

crowd dining on their meals.

Consoli said she hopes the attendance drops in the future as the

need declines.

Elvia Moreno brought her four children to the feast.

“I think it’s great,” Moreno said. “I’ve never been to one of

these.”

Feast organizers encourage parish children to help out during the

event. Elizabeth Cornejo, 12, handed out toiletries such as Kleenex

and shampoo while her mom, Sandra, helped out in the kitchen.

“It feels good because I know that people may not be that

fortunate and we can give them supplies they need,” Elizabeth said.

After the feast is over and everything is cleaned up, the adult

organizers usually ask the parish children who helped out what they

thought about the experience. Their answers illustrate their

compassion, Robillard said.

“They usually think [at first] that poor people live somewhere

else,” Robillard said. “The first year, they were a little

intimidated. Now, they’re more comfortable talking with the folks.

They love to be helpful.”

Margie Castillo is not affiliated with the church, but came to

help the homeless, as she does every year, she said.

“I think we’re all human beings and we all go through bad times in

our life,” Castillo said. “The little we have, we have to share it.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].