Someone with us

Shannon Santos believes her late grandmother, Merle Hatleburg, was watching over the group gathered in the Someone Cares soup kitchen Thanksgiving day.

This is the first Thanksgiving dinner without the woman who founded the soup kitchen more than 21 years ago. While Santos admitted it was really hard for her, she said she and many volunteers felt a special presence.

In prior years, everyone was always on the go and anxious about the preparations underway.

Not this year, Santos said.

“There’s such a sense of peace, and I know it’s because she’s looking over and providing for us right now.”

The line outside the door of Someone Cares began forming early Thursday.

Between noon and 3 p.m., more than 500 people were expected to be served a meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and all the fixings.

The bulk of that food had been prepared Tuesday in the parking lot of the Five Feet restaurant in Laguna Beach, by chef-owner Michael Kang and about 40 volunteers.

He sets up, adjacent to the restaurant, a tent that houses propane ovens to cook the turkeys; this year’s feast involved cooking 120 turkeys, 300 pounds of potatoes, 20 gallons of gravy and three cases of stuffing.

Daniel Sussman is the “sauté guy,” having worked his way up in the volunteer ranks from potato peeler, the position at which he started more than seven years ago.

Sussman is in charge of the stuffing, sautéing celery, onion and mushrooms in butter before adding bread, salt, pepper and chicken broth.

He does that, he said, by mushing it together with “lots of love and clean hands.”

As soon as the turkeys are roasted and carved, and the rest of the food is prepared, the volunteers place it on trays and box it up so it can be delivered to Someone Cares on Wednesday.

Kang has been involved with Someone Cares for the past 15 years and joked that there are so many volunteers in the kitchen now, he doesn’t have a job anymore.

His two teenage sons were among the volunteers helping out, reflecting an attitude their father has passed along.

“I want to do as much as I can, and this is very little as far as I’m concerned. I’m just giving back,” Kang said.

Before the blessing, Santos asked for a moment of silence to remember her grandmother.

“Without her, this would not have been possible.”

Merle Hatleburg’s favorite psalm was the 23rd Psalm, and the room erupted in laughter when everyone seemed to be having a hard time remembering the words.

Joan Ellis lives in Costa Mesa and frequents the soup kitchen often.

She and her friend Richard Gonzales, a Bethel Towers resident, keep busy volunteering at the Costa Mesa Senior Center. Ellis said they are both very grateful for the soup kitchen.

“Not only do they serve wonderful meals on holidays, they give us excellent meals every day,” she said. “We come here a lot and we hope the soup kitchen stays here forever.

“We’re glad Shannon is going to carry on the tradition her grandmother started, bless her heart. Even though we couldn’t remember the words to Merle’s favorite psalm.”

Michael, 18, preferred not to give his last name, but was enjoying the food, thankful to be spending time with his wife and son, and said Someone Cares helped his family out a lot when he was growing up.

“I love the soup kitchen,” he said. “I know the staff and everyone here.”

He wanted to pay his respects especially to Merle and Shannon for what they have provided.

Teri Hatleburg has been on the board at Someone Cares for the last 20 years and is proud to see the legacy her mother created continue with Santos, her daughter, as executive director.

The first year Someone Cares opened its doors on Thanksgiving, dinner was served to 30 people.

The soup kitchen had enough food to serve 1,200 this year.

Hatleburg said none of the food will go to waste.

The kitchen will serve leftovers throughout the weekend, make soup and freeze more for later.

At an open house in memory of her mother last month, Corona del Mar artist Phil Roberts presented the family with an oil painting of Merle Hatleburg.

Teri Hatleburg said the portrait is priceless to her family, who will preserve it as an heirloom.

A reproduction is being made to hang on the dining room wall at Someone Cares.

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at sue.thoensen@latimes.com.