Gail and David Young

Every Friday and Saturday, Gail and David Young of Corona del Mar

go food shopping in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine for fruits,

vegetables and breads.

Stops include the Costa Mesa Farmer’s Market, Grower’s Direct, the

Corona del Mar Farmer’s Market, the Irvine Farmer’s Market and

sometimes places like Ralphs and Newport Coast’s Pavilions, whose

managers graciously contribute breads and pastries for free to help

the Youngs’ good cause.

Once their car is loaded, the couple drives to Costa Mesa

shelters, including the Yellowstone Alcoholic Women’s Shelter, the

First Step House and the Interfaith Shelter, where they drop off all

the free food and give it to people who need it.

“My favorite shelter is the Interfaith Shelter,” said Gail Young,

56. “The kids will come down with plastic bags and take all the food

they want. They can live there up to three months free, as long as

they go out every day to see if they can find a job.”

The volunteering couple started their food-delivery routine one

Thanksgiving in the late ‘80s when the family, including two sons,

volunteered at Share Our Selves.

“They mentioned they needed someone to pick up food for them

because the person who was picking up food was not available,” said

David Young, 59. “In the process of doing that, we found different

sources where, for a very small fraction of the cost, [they] were

willing to sell us food or give food away.”

So the couple got in the habit of going food shopping every Friday

and Saturday, and making Saturday deliveries.

But as a family, the Youngs have always volunteered their time and

talents. When the couple’s boys were young, the four would visit Hoag

Hospital during holidays and entertain children and elderly patients.

The helping spirit grew to be a year-round philanthropy.

“When you live in Newport and you go into Costa Mesa, into some of

these areas, it’s pretty amazing the difference in the amount of just

normal things that people have, and it was very important for us, for

our children, to see that we are so blessed and so fortunate and we

need to give to those who are not,” said Gail Young.

Her husband says he enjoys watching smiles light up kids’ faces

when the thought of a feast dawns.

Gail added that the attitudes of people who help them deliver the

food to the shelters -- the managers and owners of markets who agree

to donate goods or charge very little -- encourages them.

“It’s very nice to see a different side of humanity,” she said.

-- Story by Young Chang;

photo by Kent Treptow