ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Conquering That Unwanted Feeling

When the Share Our Selves charity moved into new quarters on Superior Street in Costa Mesa, one of its primary concerns was making sure that it was a good neighbor. The success it has had in realizing that goal ought to be a model for other charitable organizations that find themselves battling the “not-in-my-back-yard” syndrome.

SOS had lost its previous home at Rea Community Center in Costa Mesa because neighbors complained about the thousands of people a month who sought food, financial assistance or medical and dental care from the charity. Now, more than a year after it opened its new center, it’s apparent that SOS has made neighborhood relations a top priority. It should keep up the good work so problems do not arise that might jeopardize the charity’s very valuable services to the poor.

Some of SOS’s neighbors on Superior Street, which is in an industrial area, were initially concerned that SOS clients would mean more crime. That hasn’t proven to be the case. One man who owns an automotive agency still isn’t thrilled with SOS’s presence, but he said recently that the problems he feared “have not materialized.” Another business owner who was initially leery became so intrigued with the hundreds of people who went by his front door every day that he went over to SOS to see what was going on. He ended up volunteering once a week to bag and hand out groceries.

SOS director Barbara Considine said she has tried to head off problems before they become an issue. On a recent trouble-shooting visit to local businesses, for example, she learned that SOS clients occasionally asked to use their phones or restrooms. That prompted new brochures in English and Spanish asking clients not to impose on businesses and thanking them “for helping us keep peaceful relations with our neighbors by honoring this request.” SOS has also hired parking lot monitors to make sure that clients do not use up all the parking spots in a shared lot.

Each month, SOS gives away about 5,000 bags of food and provides financial assistance and medical care to hundreds of people. Because it has also taken care of community relations, it can concentrate on the important work at hand. As the county’s largest private charity, it is important that it do all it can to make sure that clients are served well while at the same time keeping its neighbors happy.