Serving a real need

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers A HELPING HAND—Volunteers Linda Ayerza, left, Diane Pangelina and Roberta Knapp, all Camarillo residents, serve food during a Many Meals event at St. Mary Magdalen Church on Las Posas Road in Camarillo on Aug. 3. Free meals and clothing are offered every Monday at the Catholic church. For the past month a Camarillo organization has been offering a free meal to anyone who comes to St. Mary Magdalen Church on Las Posas Road in Camarillo on Monday evenings.

After months of planning, volunteers began serving meals on July 6. Thirty-one people showed up. By the fourth week, the number had risen to 64 and included seniors and families with children.

The volunteers call themselves Many Meals of Camarillo, which was begun by a close-knit group of about 10 parishioners from Padre Serra and St. Mary Magdalen churches in Camarillo. The parishoners are members of Just Faith, a national ministry for social justice awareness and activism.

“I feel it’s a calling, that there’s a need out there and that’s what I want to do to help—that’s part of my belief,” said Many Meals cochair Barbara Vernon. “The poor and hungry are always going to be with us. . . . We need to do something to help them.”

Vernon, 84, said the group’s goal is not only to feed the hungry but to help prevent people from spiraling into homelessness and desperation. Providing families on the verge of poverty with a weekly meal may help them stretch their dollar further, she said.

“This may let them go get a tank of gas to go look for work,” Vernon said.

Many Meals offers its guests more than food. There is a boutique table with donated items that include toys, clothes, books, toiletries and pet food. Guests also have access to information on community resources such as Head Start applications and services for senior citizens.

“It’s more than just a meal— it’s kind of a place where people feel they’re not all alone,” said volunteer Roma Daniels.

Vernon said they’ve fed 110 individuals over the past four weeks and have had numerous repeat guests.

Some 140 volunteers of all ages from both churches have helped Many Meals. To ensure no one is overworked, volunteers take turns every week. About 10 people are needed to set up, feed, clean up and serve the guests each Monday afternoon at St. Mary Magdalen hall. Eight volunteers each prepare an entree at home that will feed at least 10 people and bring it to the church. Others make sure the food is kept at a safe temperature until it’s served. On hand at the church are a Spanish translator and a nurse who checks guests’ blood pressure for free.

Many Meals volunteers want the guests to feel welcome and the atmosphere homelike. The tables have tablecloths topped with centerpieces. In addition to the buffet dinner, there is a dessert tray and milk.

Pat Yost, 62, Many Meals’ other co-chair, said a growing number of unemployed people are in need of a meal. In one extended family all six adults were out of work, she said.

Among the people Many Meals serves are seniors and families. So far, dinner guests have included about 15 children, the youngest being 7 months old, Yost said, adding that they’re scouting thrift stores for booster seats and high chairs.

As the word spreads, others in the community are lending a hand. A local produce grower donates prepared salads; a restaurant supplier contributes fresh vegetables, and a caterer cooks them. A farmer in the area provides tomatoes, and others bring in fruit from their trees.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Vernon said.

She said it speaks to their cause that a baker who’s a Muslim donates bread.

Vernon and Yost said they plan to enlist churches of other faiths to join them, eventually providing a free meal for those in need each night of the week.

Asked how she felt feeding people who might otherwise go hungry, Yost said, “We’re always saying to each other, ‘It’s not about us; it’s about them.’”

The nondenominational Many Meals is working toward becoming a nonprofit but until then will operate under the auspices of a similar nonprofit group in Santa Paula.

To help Many Meals of Camarillo, send an e-mail to manymealsvolunteers@verizon.net.