Long Beach gears up for giving

“I’m using the church tomorrow to pick up my turkey,” Anne Jones of Long Beach, a single mother of four, said on Monday. “I never realized things like this were available to me.”

Jones, who asked that her name be changed to protect her privacy, started struggling financially a few years ago but, she began using the outreach services of Long Beach Christmas Angel only last winter.

While trying to care for three teenagers and a young adult, Jones has often found herself either unemployed or with jobs that didn’t pay enough to make ends meet. She has worked steadily since September, she said, but she has no car, so she rides her bike to the church’s food pantry to pick up groceries.

“At first I didn’t want to do that,” she said of asking for help, “but buying food was really difficult and my pantry was bare.”

Families like Jones’s need community support year-round, but during the holidays, organizations shift into high gear. “We’re appreciative of all the people that donated food,” said Fran Barden, the outreach director at St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church on West Broadway. “More and more people, because of the recession, are in need than before.”

Barden and the parish have collected food and monetary donations from congregants since the end of October. She also received donations from the Long Beach Catholic School and the Knights of Columbus Monsignor Cass Council 2626.

In total, St. Ignatius collected about 60 cartons of food, which were made into baskets on Tuesday and will go to the outreach’s regular list of clients as well as to senior centers. The donations will feed more than 125 families, according to Barden.

Patrick Maguire, chairman of the Knights of Columbus’s food drive committee, said the organization ran three drives at C-Town on West Beech Street and Waldbaum’s and Associated Supermarkets on East Park Avenue in October and this month. Members also stood on street corners, asking motorists stopped at red lights for donations.

“We’re thankful for the generosity of the residents ...,” said Grand Knight Keith Master. “As always, their response to our food drive has been outstanding.” The Knights collected more than 1,700 pounds of food and $2,000, which was used to buy more food for St. Ignatius and St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church on West Park Avenue.

Food baskets made by St. Mary’s will feed 600 families, a 15 percent increase over last year, said outreach Director Blanca Cales, adding that there have been more people looking for help from the church, including more immigrants, single mothers and workings families.

Because more organizations have similar stories, some groups, such as local Cub Scout packs, are increasing the number of baskets they make for needy families in the Long Beach School District. Lisa Cornell, leader of a den of 11 second-graders, said they are making three baskets this year, up from two last year. Each basket contains all the side dishes for a holiday meal, including stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables, as well as a gift card for a turkey.

“You see how many parents are out of work and what the economy has done to the community,” Cornell said.

While the Joneses are planning a quiet dinner, others, like Jane Smith and her family, hope to share the holiday with others. Smith, whose name has also been changed to protect her privacy, will attend the first Thanksgiving dinner held at the Beach House on West Beech Street. “We have a full kitchen,” said co-owner Ben Freiser. “We should be able to utilize it and be able to let others take advantage of it.”

Freiser said the West End bar will host a free buffet from 11 to 5 on Thanksgiving for families who can’t afford to prepare a dinner or are without family to share the day with. The bar will also deliver turkey dinners to those who can’t make it to the buffet.

The Beach House has also collected gently used coats, which will be donated to the VFW and other organizations. “A lot of people do reach out and help you,” said Smith, a single mother of two young children. “We’re so grateful for it.”

Smith has been using the outreach services at St. Mary’s for about 18 months while she has began studying to become a medical assistant. When her toddler son became ill, she had to take herself out of school to care for him at home. Despite her tribulations, she remains positive. “Things could always be worst,” she said. “The community is very helpful.”

Jones said that she doesn’t think people realize how much it helps people who are struggling to know they have support. She admits that she used to give donations during the holidays without thinking much about where they were going.

“The pressure is enormous when you’re trying to pay bills and put a smile on your kids’ face during the holidays,” she said.

Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.