Hard times and long lines for Southern Californians
Thousands turn out for separate offerings of free food and mortgage help. Some leave empty-handed.
Some sought a cart of groceries the week before Thanksgiving, others sought a way to keep from losing their homes in the new year. By the thousands, a diverse group of Southern Californians converged on two events Saturday aimed at helping families in hard economic times.
The problems, and the aid offered, were vastly different. But both reflected the worries and needs of many.
In Montebello, nearly 5,000 turned out for a food giveaway, a number that stunned organizers who had tried to keep it a low-key event, targeting publicity to several churches and schools. But word of mouth proved stronger than a few fliers, and crowds inundated Montebello Park. A diverse mix of people stood in a six-hour-long line -- families from middle- and working-class communities, including Pico Rivera, Montebello, Norwalk and Whittier. No one left empty-handed, though.
Mortgage workshop: An article in the Nov. 23 California section about events aimed at helping families in hard economic times said that a workshop to assist IndyMac Federal Bank customers falling behind on mortgage payments would be held today in Riverside. The event is Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave.
In Van Nuys, about 2,000 homeowners attended a workshop promoted as Home Preservation Day. But this was not about how to lay tile or install plumbing. A bank had mailed notices to homeowners in trouble with their mortgages, and Saturday offered them a chance to rework the terms of their loans. Bankers had hoped 100 would turn out, and planned for 200. Loan counselors had time to meet with a fraction of homeowners and some were turned away.
Filling empty cupboards
Just a few paychecks ago, Betty Gillis, 44, was volunteering at a food pantry, handing out food to the needy. Saturday, she found herself on the receiving end of a food giveaway.
Last month, the Whittier pharmacy technician was juggling two jobs to support her disabled husband, mother-in-law, and college student daughter. But her full-time employer cut her hours because there were too few customers. Her bosses also required her to work on weekends, forcing her to quit her second job -- and the money ran out.
So on Saturday, Gillis stood in a block-long line at Montebello Park and accepted a cart-full of groceries for Thanksgiving week.
"My daughter asked me the other day, 'Are we so poor that we have to stand in line for food?' And I said, 'Yeah,' " Gillis said.
The scene in Montebello reflected the crisis confronting local food banks struggling to keep up with demand that has surged more than 40% since last year, according to Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. New to food lines are middle-class families -- including some that until recently earned $70,000 a year.
