Someone Cares spreads some Christmas cheer

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- James Montgomery and his 5-year-old son, James Jr., have

simple Christmas wishes this year:

“I really want Junior in school, I want a job, and I want a place to

live,” said the quiet-voiced Montgomery, holding his son’s hand at

Someone Cares Soup Kitchen on Friday afternoon.

Montgomery has been living in shelters, friends’ homes and on the city’s

streets since he was evicted from his Long Beach apartment in September.

While it doesn’t seem that any of his wishes will come true this

Christmas, his son did get the new chrome bicycle he asked for months

ago.

It was one of 2,500 toys donated to the soup kitchen and distributed

Christmas Eve. The kitchen also served more than 1,000 meals of sliced

baked ham, boiled potatoes, fresh fruit, cherry pie, chocolate cake and

fruit punch to other low-income Orange County families.

“People really have a misconception of who is homeless,” said George

Neureuther, Someone Cares’ manager. “There are a huge amount of families

and children out there.”

Many of the families, Neureuther said, include adults who are looking for

work or are working for minimum wage.

Montgomery had worked his way into a warehouse manager job, but the

company he worked for went out of business last fall. He couldn’t pay the

rent for his apartment, and he was forced to move to the streets.

“It was hard, really hard,” he said, “especially with my son.”

Montgomery, who is a single father, said he can’t start work until Junior

starts school. And, he said he can’t register the outgoing boy for school

until they have a permanent address.

But his situation is apparently not unique. Beginning at 10 a.m., a

300-yard line of families waiting to greet Santa and Mrs. Claus and pick

up gifts snaked around the alley behind the kitchen. The gifts were

sorted by age and gender, and included skateboards, Barbies, toy trucks

and movie passes.

Newport-Mesa residents donated the gifts, which shelter volunteers

wrapped last week. On Friday, more than 200 volunteers helped serve food,

distribute gifts, make balloon sculptures and direct traffic.

“I grew up poor and didn’t like it at all,” said Bob Meade of Irvine, who

ladled potatoes onto plates with his wife, Gloria, as he celebrated his

74th birthday. “If you can, you really should give back.”

Montgomery said he was thrilled that his son got a new bike for

Christmas. He said he can’t wait to teach the boy how to ride it without

training wheels.

But Montgomery said he’ll have to leave the bicycle at the soup kitchen

until the two find a permanent home. He said he is confident it won’t be

long.

“I know I can do it,” he said. “I’ve been there, done that. Us two

together, we’re strong.”