OJAI : Vietnam Veteran Seeks Volunteers to Help Homeless

An Ojai Valley man, inspired by a Vietnam veterans memorial, has begun a project to help the homeless.

Mike Eggleston is seeking volunteers to help Operation Riverbottom, a plan to gather food and warm clothing for needy people living in the Ventura River bed and in campgrounds in the Ojai Valley.

Eggleston, a Vietnam veteran and real estate appraiser for Ventura County, said he wanted to reach out to the homeless after seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica displayed earlier this month at the County Government Center.

He said he was told by sponsors that a significant percentage of the homeless are Vietnam veterans.

“When I drive back and forth to work, I see the homeless--everyone sees the homeless--and (many) of them are vets,” Eggleston said.

“It weighed on me. I thought if I did one small thing, somebody else would do their part, and someone else their part.”

County health officials told Eggleston that about 200 homeless people live in the river bottom and the Ojai Valley area.

He hopes to collect enough wool clothes, non-perishable food and money to create at least 200 care packages to be delivered before Christmas.

Help is needed for identifying places where the homeless gather and making the deliveries, he said.

“A lot of people have compassion for the homeless, but they don’t know how to do the outreach,” Eggleston said. “This is one way they can do it.”

Eggleston contacted other organizations that assist the homeless in Ventura County.

“There seems to be a lot of help needed, apparently so much need that we won’t be duplicating anyone else’s efforts,” he said.

Donations for Operation Riverbottom will be accepted at St. Andrew’s Church in Ojai on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon until Christmas.

Other arrangements and volunteer work can be set up by calling Eggleston at 649-1196 between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. weekdays or on weekends, or the church at 646-1885.