A tradition of giving

Each year for nearly two decades, the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen has served Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds.The holidays are a time for family, and Merle Hatleberg has a big one.

The founder of Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa has dedicated her life to making everyone in the community a part of her family. Hatleberg’s impact on the community is even more evident around the holidays, when volunteers come out in droves and hundreds of homeless people and less fortunate families spend their afternoon feasting on gourmet food.

“It takes a team,” said soup kitchen manager Shannon Santos, Hatleberg’s granddaughter.

The soup kitchen, which opened its doors for Thanksgiving lunch at noon on Thursday, had enough turkey, stuffing, cranberries, green beans, bread and pumpkin pie to feed 800. About 130 volunteers, including 40 employees from PacifiCare, worked four shifts throughout the day, setting up the tables, helping prepare and serve the food, and cleaning up afterward.

Hatleberg said it’s what she loves seeing day in and day out -- “people helping people.”

“It’s run very smooth,” she said. “After 19 years, it should.”

Merle Hatleberg’s daughter, Teri Hatleberg, remembers the first Thanksgiving the soup kitchen was open -- they served about 30 people.

“It just kept growing and growing because the need kept growing,” she said.

As the first shift of volunteers finished up their work, the soup kitchen’s weekend supervisor, Kim Haina, thanked them all for their time and explained how important it is that every person who walks through the door feels as if they’re in a five-star restaurant.

“They are our guests, they are family members,” Haina said, her eyes moistening and voice cracking as she encouraged the volunteers to pass the charitable spirit along to friends and family. “We do this because we want it to be really special for our guests.... On the holidays, we love to put on our best.”

Michael Kang, owner of Five Feet restaurant in Laguna Beach, has been supplying the majority of the food for the Thanksgiving spread for the past 14 years. He said a large group of his friends stayed up all night Tuesday prepping the side dishes and cooking close to 100 turkeys.

“Merle’s wonderful,” Kang said. “I just try to do every bit I can to help her out.”

Kang also brought his two children, Tylan, 12, and Devon, 4, to help out in the kitchen and with serving.

Crystal Holtzendorff, a PacifiCare employee, helped Devon make the buns.

“I used to volunteer in my hometown [Wrightwood, Calif.],” she said, explaining that helping out at the soup kitchen was an opportunity to give back during the holiday season. “I like working back here in the kitchen.”

Shortly after the first set of diners were seated at the tables, Merle Hatleberg led them all in a prayer of thanks.

Don Meadows cleaned his plate and took a breather before digging into the giant slice of pumpkin pie.

“I’ve been eating here for years,” he said. “They’ve helped sustain my life, and I love Merle.”

Meadows said the food was delicious.

“It was well worth waiting for,” he said, adding that it was a treat to be served at table rather than walking through the typical buffet line. “It was wonderful.”

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at (714) 966-4625 or lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.

20051125iqhbdpknMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Volunteers plate up Thanksgiving meals that will be served to the guests at the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa Thursday afternoon. 20051125iqhbd5knMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Guests hold hands as they say a prayer before being served. 20051125iqhbcgknPHOTOS BY MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Linda Beery, left, places a slice of pumpkin pie on the tray of Antonio Roman during Thursday’s Thanksgiving feast at the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa. The soup kitchen was open from noon to 3 p.m. and made enough food for 800.