Every year, when the holidays are...

Every year, when the holidays are around the corner, Loyda Cordero

thinks about those who won’t be able to celebrate them.

The Newport Beach resident thinks about poor immigrants and

dayworkers who slug it out to make ends meet. She thinks about those

who continue to work cold and hungry.

On Saturday, she boiled spaghetti, cooked meatballs, baked garlic

bread and brownies, tossed salad and stirred punch. Cordero then

loaded the food in her car, took it to the Christmas tree lot at the

corner of Fairview Road and Merrimac Drive in Costa Mesa and served

it to hungry people, who accepted it with gratitude.

Cordero has served this meal before Christmas for the last five

years.

It’s something she wants to do and loves to do, Cordero says.

“I do it for the Lord,” she said. “Christmas is such a wonderful

time, a time to say thank you to the Lord for all that he has given

us. It’s a time to give something back.”

Cordero also hands out jackets and blankets along with the food.

On Sunday, at least 20 people were thankful for her generosity. For

the last five years, Cordero has carried on at her own expense, but

this year, her friend Patricia Urbanski also contributed money and

help, she said.

People are happy to see her, even though it is only once a year,

Cordero said.

“They wait for me there,” she said. “When they see me, they say,

‘Here’s the food lady.’”

Every time she meets men, women and children, they thank her with

hugs and kisses.

“They’re hungry,” she said. “You can see they really appreciate

it.”

An English as a second language teacher, Cordero also collects

money for street kids in Colombia. Cordero is originally from the

Dominican Republic.

She says she will definitely continue with her charity in the

coming years.

“It gives me so much satisfaction personally,” she said. “It’s my

way of celebrating the holidays.”

-- Story by Deepa Bharath,

photo by Crystal Lauderdale