Thanksgiving has come and gone, but Laguna Woods Village residents Rhonda and Rob Walker set the tone for the holiday season by cooking and delivering turkey dinners to neighbors in need of food and companionship.
“We fed a total of 17 people, one senior cat and two dogs,” Rhonda Walker said.
For Christmas, the couple plans to prepare breakfast for at least 15 needy residents. They announce their efforts on the social networking service Nextdoor.
Village residents are ready to lend a hand to their neighbors in need, not only during the holidays but all year round.
Laguna Woods Social Services and the Foundation of Laguna Woods Village lead the charge, in collaboration with organizations such as Age Well Senior Services and South County Outreach, which provides food and housing assistance. All of the organizations enjoy support from Village clubs, groups and private individuals.
The Village group Guys of Leisure has been in operation for five years. Its 40 to 45 resident members enjoy each other’s company as well as giving to charity.
“We are retired doctors, lawyers, police officers and first responders — you name it — who like to get together for lunches and also go on field trips to museums, wineries, to car museums and air shows,” said Gary Bain, a 23-year Air Force veteran. “As chair, I am in charge of trips, lining up speakers and charity opportunities.”
The pandemic has curtailed the guys’ activities, but not their giving spirit. For Thanksgiving, the group delivered 30 turkeys to South County Outreach.
“It came to 500 pounds of turkey,” Bain said, adding that the group has enough money available to deliver as many hams to SCO for Christmas. He praised Laguna Woods grocery stores for giving the group good prices for the turkeys and hams.
Before the pandemic, the guys also coordinated with the Chaupain Bakery in Laguna Hills to provide bread to the SCO food pantry.
“We picked up more than 100 pounds of bread a week for South County Outreach,” Bain said.
In March, the operation stopped, but it resumed three weeks ago, he said.
“Now we are doing this on a weekly basis again — during the last two weeks, we have dropped altogether 190 pounds of bread at Outreach.”
Village resident Marcy Sheinwold, director of the Foundation of Laguna Woods Village, works closely with Susan McInerney, the manager of Social Services, which refers seniors to needed services. Those services can be related to food, medical and transportation challenges, finances, or isolation and loneliness.
The Foundation is a Laguna Woods-based charity dedicated to residents, Sheinwold said. Those who receive help from the Foundation remain anonymous.
“We don’t know who needs our help; no IDs are disclosed,” she said.
Before COVID-19, the Foundation transported needy residents to food pantries once a month. Now, the group helps pay for Meals on Wheels and gives out $100 grocery cards for Stater Bros. Markets. The grocery chain provides discounts to the Foundation.
“We have purchased this year $30,000 worth of food cards. Included this year are 138 residents who received special gifts, Stater Brothers grocery cards, to celebrate the holidays in a meaningful way,” Sheinwold said.
Those 138 residents were identified by Social Services and South County Outreach as needing a special boost this year, she said. Last year, the Foundation spent $17,000 on grocery cards.
Food insecurity is a yearlong issue, Sheinwold said, but it has been an even greater concern during the pandemic.
Still, “no one goes without adequate food,” she said.
Nicole Cruz knew from a young age that her destiny lay in taking care of the elderly. Inspired by love for her great-grandmother, Cruz set out to learn everything she could about seniors and their unique challenges.
“I wanted to learn what seniors have to go through as they age,” Cruz said.
Today, she is the director of community development for Age Well Senior Services, a nonprofit organization that administers local senior centers such as the Florence Sylvester Senior Center in Laguna Hills.
In addition, Age Well’s vans deliver Meals on Wheels and other supplies throughout the Village.
From mid-2019 to mid-2020, Age Well provided 94,647 meals to Village households. Since July, it has delivered 32,813 meals — an increase resulting from the pandemic.
Volunteers who deliver meals also check on their charges’ welfare and report their findings to site management.
“The need is astronomical; seniors stay home more, and isolation is a huge problem,” Cruz said.
Cruz emphasized that although donations for the services are appreciated, they are not mandatory. “$1 to $5 a week is better than nothing — no one is turned away.”
The Florence Sylvester Senior Center is closed due to COVID-19, but it is still staffed, and clients continue to receive services. Hungry seniors can pick up “grab and go” lunches.
“Our volunteers go the extra mile, and my goal is for people to know about Age Well before they need help,” Cruz said.
Before the pandemic, Village seniors and other needy South Orange County residents would visit the food pantry at South County Outreach in Irvine and pick up what they needed. Now, volunteers gather the supplies, and the recipients pick up the food curbside.
“With the holidays upon us, SCO plans to augment the amount of food individuals and families receive,” said Renee Stevenson, director of operations at South County Outreach. “People are struggling to get food after COVID. Incomes change, but people still want to provide for themselves.”
Perhaps Cruz summed up the holiday spirit best: “The biggest help anyone can get is love. That and a life with pride and dignity.”
Help is available
If you or someone you know needs help with food or other services, or if you would like to help or donate, please contact any of the following:
Laguna Woods Social Services: 949-597-4267
Foundation of Laguna Woods Village: 949-268-2246 or foundationoflagunawoodsvillage.org
Age Well Senior Services: 949-855-8033 or agewellseniorservices.org
South County Outreach: 949-380-8144 ext 207 or sco-oc.org/
If you would like to join Guys of Leisure, contact Gary Bain at baingary3@gmail.com.
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