A calling to feed the homeless

In this difficult economic climate there are more homeless people visible on local streets and parks than ever and seeing that they are fed and sheltered has become a bigger problem as well.

In Laguna, a number of generous and big-hearted individuals have taken it upon themselves over the years to provide a variety of services. A dramatic example of a single individual’s recent effort is the work of Victoria Hales, who provides food, clothes and, she says, friendship to the homeless in Heisler Park.

Her background as a formerly homeless person herself explains her sensitivity to the disadvantaged and why she is willing to get up five days a week at 5:30 a.m. to cook a meal and then feed about 30 homeless people in the park.

“I feel that this is what God wants me to do,” she said.

Hales’ work is not without controversy. She has continued providing the food at Heisler even though Laguna Beach’s then-Mayor Kelly Boyd requested her to stop the park feedings, due to the city’s efforts to move the homeless out of the parks and provide food and shelter elsewhere.

“The city would like to see meals for homeless persons provided at the Alternative Sleeping Location at ACT V where people can also receive shelter and help accessing other services,” said Assistant City Manager John Pietig. “Providing meals in the parks or on beaches encourages homeless persons from other areas to relocate to Laguna Beach and gather in public areas while waiting for the meals.”

Pietig added that there is no municipal law prohibiting feeding in the parks and on the beaches.

“It would be difficult to draft a law that would prohibit group feedings without also impacting groups of people bringing food in for picnics and similar gatherings,” he said.

Hales says she is simply feeding her “friends,” and that, because Boyd didn’t order her to stop but only requested it, she doesn’t feel she must oblige the request.

Hales’ activities have also become a thorn in the side of Laguna Relief and Resource Coalition, whose volunteers provide a morning and evening meal seven days a week at the city-sponsored Alternative Sleeping Location at the ACT V parking lot on Laguna Canyon Road.

After Hales rejected an offer that she provide her meal service at the ACT V lot, the Resource Center refused to donate food to her project, according to Resource Center President Jason Paransky.

So Hales continues with her morning feedings, which she says are far superior to the offerings of the Resource Center. She has gotten the support of the Neighborhood Congregational Church, which allows her to set up the food service under shelter at the church when it rains.

Homeless in Laguna

Hales was born in Upland with every advantage, but at 16, she could not tolerate conditions at home and ran off to Laguna.

After living the homeless life for two years and becoming a hippie, she returned to Upland and began managing an apartment building in exchange for rent. She made beaded jewelry and sold it in the neighborhood.

She also got a job at Reach Out in Ontario, a drug rehab program. She impressed the boss so much that he hired her to do intake. When their funding was cut, she found herself at the unemployment office and then took a job at a preschool as an afternoon aide, cleaning bathrooms and stacking cots for minimum wage.

During this time, she enrolled in night school at Chaffey College and earned a degree in sociology and child development. An interesting aside is that her daughter is now a professor at this same college.

Hales remained at the preschool for 17 years, eventually working her way up to become the administrator. The school was ultimately sold.

Five years later she was employed as a human resource counselor for the city of Ontario working with teen dropouts and felons. She continued her work with the underprivileged and handicapped as the director of child development at the Colton Unified School District.

When she retired, she moved to Waikiki for three month but got island fever and moved back to Lake Forest to a senior citizens complex, but found herself with little to do.

“I felt an emptiness,” she said. Then one day while walking in Heisler Park last September, she saw people passing out brown paper bag lunches. She observed that the bags contained juice boxes, granola bars and peanut butter sandwiches on white bread.

A light bulb went off in her head and she thought, “I can do much better than that!” She prepped all night, woke up at 5:30 a.m. to cook and brought a full healthy meal to the homeless.

The first month she spent $2,000 of her own money but has since connected with Adopt-A-Neighbor Program at a Lake Forest Church, the Helping Hand Program that picks up food donated by grocery stores, Costco and the mobile home park where she lives. Now she spends about $200 a month.

She tries to provide a healthy diet and makes soups and meals for vegans, the lactose intolerant and others with dietary needs. She makes a salad every day, serves a variety of vegetables, fruit and whole grain breads and always brings yogurt.

She also provides clothes, toiletries etc. and remembers their names, the details of their lives and asks them what they want and need.

“So many of them are bright and talented people,” Hales said. “They bless me every day and have made my life full and rich. I never feel my pain when I’m feeding the homeless.”

Asked to stop feedings

When the new temporary shelter for the homeless opened, Hales received a phone call from Boyd, who requested that she stop feeding the homeless at the park. She says he told her that the park had been newly renovated and the homeless had taken it over.

She told the mayor that she would be happy to feed them at the new shelter if they would keep it open until 10 a.m. because she couldn’t manage to cook and serve the quality of food she prepares any earlier. She says no one has responded to that offer.

Boyd said that the city cannot keep the shelter open to accommodate Hales’ feedings because the buses, which are parked overnight in the ACT V lot, leave at 6:15 a.m. to begin their day at the bus depot and take the homeless into town for free. Also, city employees start parking there at 7:30 a.m. and there is concern that it would be dangerous for people to be walking around the area. There is no money in the budget for the paid staff to stay beyond 7:30 a.m. and volunteers can’t operate the shelter alone, because they need to be supervised by trained personnel.

The shelter is open from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. and provides a meal at night, blankets and mats for sleeping and in the morning, instant oatmeal, a muffin and a sandwich, and coffee or tea.

Jason Paransky, chairman and executive director of Laguna Relief and Resource Coalition, which provides food and other assistance at the shelter, accuses Hales of not working with the city and volunteers to help the homeless and give them an alternative to living in the public parks.

“What is important is that several agencies are working together, along with the city, to bring order and proper help to Laguna’s chronically homeless population,” Paransky said. “The operative word here is ‘together.’ Despite the requests of all of the above-mentioned agencies, Victoria has continued to act by herself, and against the cooperative efforts of all who are trying to accomplish what is best for all. Her actions are unilateral.”

Paransky said the coalition has voted to not supply food to Victoria for her to use at beach feedings.

“On a personal note, my heart goes out to Victoria because I know what she is doing, and I believe that I understand why,” he said. “However, best intentions do not always result in best actions.”

Cindy Frazier contributed to this story.