Group seeking to retire Someone Cares mortgage
Stefanie Frith
COSTA MESA -- The Someone Cares Soup Kitchen may not have to worry
about its mortgage anymore.
The Orange County-based nonprofit Fairshare 502 is in the process of
raising $308,000 in order to retire the charity’s 30-year mortgage. The
soup kitchen currently pays $28,000 a year on its mortgage. It is in its
fourth year in the building on 17th Street.
“We are flirting with the $308,000, and we won’t guarantee that we’ll
make it,” said Fairshare 502 board member Bill Furlow. “But [a few years
ago] we did retire Share Our Selves’ mortgage. But even if we fall short,
we will still make a huge dent in the mortgage.”
Michael Kang, a founding member of Fairshare 502 and owner of 5 Feet
Restaurant in Laguna Beach, agreed.
“We are still a little ways off. We are somewhere near $200,000,” Kang
said. “But there are still donors out there and I hope we will be able to
achieve our goal. We need to pump this up so we can get more people to
help.”
To help raise the money for the mortgage, the 10-year-old Fairshare
502 will hold a dinner and auction April 29 at the Ritz Carlton in
Newport Beach.
Retiring the mortgage is only one improvement going on at Someone
Cares. The nonprofit organization Christmas in April will be painting the
inside and outside of the soup kitchen on April 28. The charity also
recently received a $48,000 grant that enabled it to replace its roof.
“We feel very honored,” said George Neureuther, Someone Cares
development director. “These improvements and the retired mortgage will
help us provide better for the community. I know that it’s been a dream
of [founder Merle Hatleberg’s] to get this building paid for.”
Along with the fund-raiser and private donations, the center has been
relying on money from local foundations, Furlow said.
“Some of the members on our board have had a long-standing
relationship with Someone Cares so this year we got together and decided
that the event would go toward taking over their mortgage,” Furlow said.
“It [the dinner] will be a black-tie affair with dinner prepared by eight
Orange County chefs, including Michael Kang.”
Fairshare 502 has also helped to raise funds for Serving People in
Need, Loaves and Fishes and Families Forward. Kang said Fairshare 502
will help any group that helps to feed hungry people.
“Merle is just unbelievable and they [Someone Cares] don’t have an
organized fund-raising department. So we want to help to get the
operation running more smoothly,” Kang said. “That’s why every penny from
our event goes toward the cause. [Someone Cares] is our sole beneficiary
this year. They do so much.”
For Neureuther, the help that Someone Cares is receiving from the
community is priceless.
“We are totally amazed and we can never say thanks enough,” he
said.FYI
What: Fund-raiser for Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and a tribute to Ritz
Carlton owner Hans Prager.
When: Sunday, April 29
Time: 5 p.m.
Where: Ritz Carlton, Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
Price: $250
Phone: (949) 437-5748.
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