Hostage Sends Goodwill for Thanksgiving : Holiday: A Westminster man in Iraq reminds countrymen to cherish freedom. And volunteers feed the county’s hungry.

Iraqi hostage Gene Lovas’ tape-recorded Thanksgiving Day message called on the congregation at the Crystal Cathedral to reflect on the good things in life: health, family and the freedoms that, for now, have been taken away from him.

“In the last few months I have met people who have lost everything, including their country. The price to regain my own freedoms and the freedoms of all the hostages held here has yet to be tallied,” the hostage from Westminster said on the taped message played during an ecumenical Thanksgiving service.

The spirit of goodwill spread throughout Orange County on Thursday as people prayed for those held hostage or stationed on military duty in the Middle East, and hundreds of volunteers fed the homeless and needy free turkey dinners.

“To peace and prosperity,” homeless women said as they toasted with glasses of apple cider at the Santa Ana YWCA’s dinner for its 36 residents.

Homeless until last week, when she found temporary shelter at the YWCA, Carol Baxter savored her meal.

“I think it’s great. It’s nice to have a change from the same old thing every day,” said Baxter, 26.

Under bright sunshine, 400 volunteers helped to feed the 5,000 people who showed up for the second annual free dinner sponsored by Anaheim restaurateur Frank Garcia.

“Being a restaurant owner, I might as well close the door and do something like this,” Garcia said, referring to sparse regular business on Thanksgiving. “I want to thank the Lord for giving something back to me.”

Romanian immigrants Steven and Elena Onica and their six children, who attended Garcia’s dinner, have learned only recently what freedom means. And while the American celebration of Thanksgiving was unknown to them when they arrived in the United States five years ago, the holiday represents for them an important religious holy day in their homeland. “We love this holiday the most,” said Onica’s daughter, Danielle, 11, who translated for her father as they prepared to enjoy turkey and mashed potatoes. The Onicas are unemployed and living on welfare, but Onica said his family is thankful for what they have.

Other groups sponsoring dinners for hundreds of needy people included the Orange County Rescue Mission, the Shelter for the Homeless, Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and Southwest Community Center.

During the Crystal Cathedral service, Holly Lovas said her husband, a Bechtel Corp. engineer, is fortunately sometimes able to make short telephone calls to his family.

“Support the people overseas, the hostages, the people in the armed services and support the families back here,” she urged the congregation as her son, Jeffrey, 8, stood nearby.

Also participating was former hostage David Jacobsen, who was reunited in November, 1986, with his family in Orange County after 17 months of captivity by the pro-Iranian Islamic Jihad.

During a press conference later with Lovas, Jacobsen said the hostages and their families must “have a tremendous faith in God, must have a tremendous faith in their own inner strength.