It sits on the north side of...

It sits on the north side of 19th Street, with its eye-catching green

trim and its wide open door. It is Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and

from the outside, it looks like your everyday, run-of-the-mill

building in Costa Mesa, with its own eclectic style. But inside it is

anything but, as dozens of staff and volunteers work diligently each

day to feed those who do not have the resources to do so for

themselves.

Soup kitchen manager Shannon Santos, the granddaughter of founder

Merle Hatleberg, is a major part of the operation. She has taken on

her grandmother’s labor of love and oversees everything from food

donations to grant writing.

Her enthusiastic smile and great sense of humor add to her

managerial flair, as she spreads laughter through the facility while

checking off her “to do” list. Columnist Lolita Harper caught up with

Shannon Saturday for a glance on what it is like to help those in

need as a profession.

Describe a normal day for you at the soup kitchen.

Normal is such a loosely worded word. When I say that I mean that

all days are so diverse, each day brings new challenges, rewards and

a remarkable sense of hope. My morning hours are spent researching

and writing grants, coordinating our volunteer staff and making sure

that all of our food donations are being picked up.

What gives me the greatest pleasure is when we open the doors and

our guests arrive. I feel we are able to make a difference to the

many nameless faces most may never see, all of whom have a rich

history -- some having had a lifestyle like you and I share -- but

for many different reasons, at this point in their life, they are in

need of a nutritional meal, a kind word and resources to get them to

the next level.

What is it like to work so closely with your family and be able to

help realize your grandmother’s vision?

I am very in-tune with my grandmother’s vision. We have a very

open relationship were I am often able to go to her for guidance,

opinions and ultimately, strength. When sudden things come up she is

there to impart her wisdom. The greatest part of my day is to listen

to her give direction and encouragement to the guest. She has a

wonderful sixth sense about people that I can only hope to gain one

day. She is able to blend this with a great sense of humor.

Speaking of your grandmother, I heard she gave everyone quite a

scare. Can you update us on her health and progress?

Scare is to put it mildly. You have to understand that my

grandmother is hugely independent. She lives on her own, drives 70

miles round trip to work and takes care of all her personal matters.

She was found by my Aunt Debbee and was in need of immediate medical

attention. It was discovered that she was suffering from congestive

heart failure. After spending 10 days in the hospital she has since

been released and is at home recuperating just itching to get back to

work.

Fund-raising in this tough economic time has been a challenge for

many nonprofits. How has the soup kitchen continued to secure the

much-needed support to keep the doors open?

This last year has been a very difficult year financially for the

soup kitchen. We have felt a tremendous decline in donations but are

so thankful for the many loyal donors who continually support us. We

are striving to maintain and gain new partnerships with people who

share the same belief that no one should go to bed hungry, on the

street or otherwise.

On Thanksgiving many board members were in the kitchen, wearing

gloves and aprons, serving food to those in need. What are the

benefits of having such an involved board of directors?

We have a wonderful board of directors. I feel that what makes our

board stand out is that they are all here because they truly believe

in our mission. Because they are so involved and informed they are

able to offer sound advice and are in-tune with the needs of the Soup

Kitchen. We have board members donate fresh fish from their fishing

trips, supply and administer flu shots to our guest, design and print

letters sent to our donors and photograph our special events.

Some members of the community look at the appearances of those who

use the facility, or complain that the kitchen attracts homeless

people to the streets of Costa Mesa, what is your response to their

criticism?

You have to understand that homelessness is not a Costa Mesa

problem it’s a national problem. Most will find this issue in their

own community. With more than 23,000 people reported to be homeless

in Orange County it is not only Costa Mesa facing this problem but

all of the Orange County area. We are thankful for the services

offered in Costa Mesa. I invite all to come join us for lunch at the

Soup Kitchen and see how as a community we can help solve this

problem.

Someone Cares also offers an after school tutoring program, how is

that going?

Someone Cares Tutoring is in its third year of operation. We are

very proud to report a 100% success rate with all students who

attend. This year we increased the program to 15 students per class,

effectively reaching 45 students total. Each child is given four

hours of individualized instruction per week. This program is so

needed for the children because through early intervention and

education we will be able to make a difference not only to the child

but also to the family as a whole.

Call me crazy but you looked like you were having a blast on

Thanksgiving; joking with people, playing with kids, etc. What kind

of benefit do you receive from doing this type of work?

On a personal level I feel honored to be apart of this

organization. The Soup Kitchen has opened my eyes to another world.

The people who come to the Soup Kitchen are like my extended family.

I’ve cried when they were hurt, encouraged them when they were down

and laughed with them in between.

Sometimes giving a gentle word of advice can make their day. When

I’m driving with my family down the streets and we see the guest of

the Soup Kitchen my kids will say, “Hey Mom, look there’s your

friends.” I have to smile inside because they are exactly right.

Do you have any final thoughts to leave our readers with?

My grandmother has taught me this “One of the deep secrets of life

is that all that is worth doing is what we do for others.”