Volunteers serve food, care for 1,600 in need

Erin Dostal

Volunteer Jorge Soto, 52, and patron Neal Davis, 55, share a meal and conversation in the gym of Calvary Chapel Spring Valley during BlessFest 2009. About 1,600 people were served by the chapel on Thanksgiving this year, receiving food, clothing, showers and other services.

By Erin Dostal

Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 | 1:50 a.m.

BlessFest 2009

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This Thanksgiving, volunteers served up something way bigger than mom’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Nearly 1,600 homeless and low-income Las Vegans visited Calvary Chapel Spring Valley for BlessFest 2009, where they received not only some turkey and pumpkin pie, but also showers, clothing, legal services, social services, hair cuts, manicures, and dental and medical consultations.

This is the second year the chapel has hosted the Thanksgiving Day event. Last year, about 800 people received food and care.

“I have so much,” said Connie Harris, 55, of Henderson, who was serving food at the event. “It makes me realize that there are so many people that go without.

“It just blesses my heart to see that they’re getting something,” she said. “It makes my Thanksgiving,”

Harris was one of about 1,300 people who volunteered at Calvary Chapel, 7175 West Oquendo Road, said senior Pastor Derek Neider, one of the coordinators of the event.

That’s more than twice the number of volunteers who helped at last year’s event.

This year’s volunteers included 36 hairdressers, 400 servers and cooks, and about 20 dental hygienists and dentists.

“It’s totally the Lord,” Neider said. “We’re just doing exactly what the New Testament directs us to do.”

To advertise the event, the chapel distributed 18,000 fliers around downtown Las Vegas. They picked up homeless Las Vegans at three bus stops and brought them to the chapel.

Serrie Lopez, a registered nurse in Las Vegas, helped in the medical care rooms. About 90 people had come through her station to receive medical aid by noon.

A limited pharmacy, which included Advil and eye drops, was also available.

“I just see that they’re very grateful,” Lopez said. “We refer them out if we need to,” she said, adding that many were diabetic and needed to continue care elsewhere. There’s always something that they need.”

Allie Barnes, 58, ate her Thanksgiving meal beside her friend, Ricky Dalton, 55, at a table in the chapel’s gymnasium. Barnes has been homeless since 2001.

Dalton, who is also homeless, didn’t come to the event last year. This year, he came with Barnes to get a meal and a haircut.

“I’m in need of everything,” Barnes said. “It’s great. They treat us like kings and queens.”

Cathy Martinez selected clothing from a room full of shoes, jeans, dresses and underwear before sitting down with her kids to enjoy a meal.

Although Martinez has an apartment, she doesn’t have a job and doesn’t receive unemployment benefits.

“It feels good in a way (to be here), but sometimes it doesn’t because you’re dependent on someone else,” said the mother of four, who also takes care of two children in temporary custody.

Jorge Soto, who is a member of the church and a volunteer host, sat with patrons, cracking jokes and having a good time.

Neal Davis, 55, who is homeless, sat beside Soto, finishing his meal.

“I needed some clothes and a turkey dinner,” he said. “My favorite is the turkey or pumpkin pie.”

Soto said the purpose of the day was to show God’s love to Las Vegans in need.

“It’s to provide them a lot of hospitality,” Soto said. “I think the focus is to give them a day that’s all theirs.”