A little ‘holiday magic’ at Someone Cares Soup Kitchen

LOLITA HARPER

Lourine Clemons won’t be coming back to the Someone Cares Soup

Kitchen anytime soon and manager Shannon Santos couldn’t be happier.

While Shannon loves Lourine and her two children, she loves it

even more when regulars at the soup kitchen find themselves in a

position that they no longer need her help.

“We are just so happy for her,” Shannon said. “I love it when this

happens.”

In this case, Lourine will move into her own apartment in

Fullerton, thanks to the generosity of a woman named Anna Gallashaw

and a little “holiday magic,” which made it all possible.

Lourine became homeless in August when her Norwalk apartment

building was condemned and she had to move. Because she was living on

a very tight budget -- making the most of each disability check --

she was unable to come up with enough money for the usual first

month’s rent and deposit that are required to rent a place.

After a brief stint with a family member in Pomona, Lourine ended

up in a Costa Mesa shelter.

“I knew that I wanted to be in Orange County,” she said. “It is

just so nice here and nice for the children.”

She continued to search for a place of her own, applying with

managers of apartments in north Orange County, where rents are

slightly lower.

“I had actually put in my application for this place a long time

ago,” Lourine said. But because of a few bad marks on her credit

report and her inability to come up with the money needed for the

initial move in, she continued her residency at the shelter -- and

her meals at the soup kitchen.

That was until Anna Gallashaw came along. Anna offered the $2,454

Lourine needed to get her new place. And Terry, the apartment

manager, bent a couple of rules after hearing Lourine’s story.

“Everyone just seemed to be so moved by all this,” Shannon said.

Lourine and her children spent a final afternoon at the soup

kitchen on New Year’s Eve, saying good-bye to friends and fueling up

for the move. She sat quietly in a chair, with her daughter on one

side and her son on the other. “I am just so grateful,” she said

repeatedly.

She spoke of finally being able to sleep in her own bed, have her

own room, cooking in her own kitchen and having a permanent address

to put on her children’s school enrollment papers. Her children had

been out of school all year.

All are things that so many of us take for granted, yet they were

things that would absolutely make her year.

Her new apartment had two-bedrooms and a “nice little patio.” The

apartment complex has a pool and plenty of laundry facilities, she

said. She is on the first floor, so she doesn’t have to worry about

dragging bags of groceries up the stairs. And the best part?

“Our place is right across the street from their school,” she

said, with an unusually excited inflection in her normally calm

speech.

Her bedroom would be decorated mostly in earth tones, she said, or

leopard.

“I do like leopard print,” Lourine said after her daughter

reminded her of her affinity for animal prints.

The children will share a room and will have to compromise on what

portion will be decorated in Winnie the Pooh and how much space Buzz

Lightyear items will get. At least there is a common Disney thread.

Of course, the decorations, finishing touches and even a lot of

the furniture will all come in due time, the most important thing is

that the Clemons family is no longer homeless.

“I am just so grateful to be so blessed,” Lourine said. “Really,

you guys will have to come over, when I get settled.”

* LOLITA HARPER is the community forum editor. She also writes

columns Wednesdays and Fridays. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275

or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.