Thanksgiving Volunteers Share Feast With Needy

It was a home-style meal for the homeless, a family-like gathering of mostly unrelated people.

At the former Camarillo State Hospital, more than 50 river-bottom dwellers and 70 other homeless people gathered together Thursday for a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

“We’ve got a lot to be thankful for,” said James Pettit, who with his pregnant girlfriend, Kelly Iozia, moved out of their makeshift camp in the Santa Clara River bottom and into the temporary shelter set up at the state hospital campus three weeks ago. “We’re thankful that we have a roof over our heads.”

Pettit joined a slew of volunteers in the kitchen to prepare turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and pies.

While he rushed to unload donated food and drinks, 18-year-old volunteers Emily Coop and Jenny Webber, both of Thousand Oaks, scooped fresh mashed potatoes into a large tray.

Coop’s mother, Janet, helped carve some of the 13 donated turkeys prepared for the afternoon meal.

“This is what it’s all about,” Janet Coop said. “We heard about the river people and we heard they needed help, so here we are.”

The Coops, along with about 30 other people who volunteered at the former state hospital, were among hundreds from churches and charities across the county who opened their hearts and doors to the needy.

“It’s wonderful to be able to do this,” said volunteer Dottie Hike, whose husband died six months ago. “The joy that I have in my heart is just overflowing. I think people that don’t do this would be jealous if they knew.”

At the Samaritan Center in Simi Valley, Jalal “J.B.” Banki and his wife, Pary, doled out about 100 meals to the needy.

“After all America has done for me and my family, I thought it was about time to say to America, ‘Thank you,’ ” said Banki, a Westlake Village resident who first came to the United States from Iran 37 years ago to pursue his education and raise a family. “I wish we could do more.”

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Banki, a civil engineer, said family friends Jim and Gitto Karimi, also of Iran, helped to prepare and give out the Thanksgiving meal.

“Everybody came and thanked us,” said Banki, 60. “They were very enthusiastic. We also thanked everyone for coming.”

A few blocks away at Tico’s Tacos, Jose and Sara Fletes said they prepared enough food for 300 people. But by 2 p.m., only eight had shown up.

“We expected a lot of homeless to show up. I don’t feel very happy about it. I will feel more happy when my food gets out,” Jose Fletes said.

The couple wanted to give back to the community for their good fortune, Fletes said.

“I came from a very poor family in Mexico,” he said. “I’ve worked all the 17 years I’ve been in this country, and all the time I’ve been making a little bit more than we need. I feel I have to do this for the homeless.”

The spirit of giving was rich this year, with the county’s food pantries, Manna in Thousand Oaks and Food Share Inc. in Oxnard, reporting that they were overloaded with food donations.

At the Camarillo State Hospital campus, the smell of turkey and stuffing wafted through the hallway and down into the day room, where Jeff “The Snake” Greene, 43, watched football on television.

Greene, who lived in the Santa Clara River bottom for about 10 years, said that having the group of Ventura and Santa Clara river-bottom dwellers together for Thanksgiving felt good.

“It’s like family,” he said.

The move out of the river bottoms was organized by the group RAIN--the River-Dwellers’ Aid Intercity Network.

The group, which is made up of several county agencies and charities, was modeled on a successful homeless-assistance program launched after the devastating floods that ripped through the Ventura River in 1995. One man was killed and 12 more had to be rescued.

This year, county officials decided to spend $225,000 to relocate the river-bottom dwellers and help them get jobs and permanent housing.

On Monday, officials plan to open another wing of the former state hospital to house up to 120 additional homeless people, including several families, said Kathy Jenks, who is organizing the shelter for the county.

Times correspondent Scott Steepleton and Times photographer Carlos Chavez contributed to this story.