Christmas blessings

Lolita Harper

This year, the Blake family made a crucial trade: a Christmas tree for

the ocean.Anthony Blake, the father of a young family that found itself

homeless after a cross-country trek for a new start, said this is the

first year his family has not had a Christmas tree.

Instead of a white Christmas with dozens of family members in the

Midwest, Blake, his girlfriend Kelly Conway and their two young sons

opened presents in a small 10- by 12-foot motel room at the Costa Mesa

Motor Inn, only a few miles from the Pacific.

The room was not big enough for a Christmas tree. But that did not

dampen the spirits of this family as Devon, 3, and Hunter, who turns 2 in

two weeks, opened their safari gift set, complete with hard hat, canteen

and binoculars.

Afterward, the family planned an outing to the seashore.

“We’re going down to the beach. We like the way the waves break over

the fingers,” Blake said about the Newport Jetties. “Ever since I came to

the ocean I’ve realized I’m falling in love with it.”

In August, Blake, 24, and Conway, 21, packed up their two boys and

their station wagon and headed west from Grand Rapids , Mich., hoping to

start a new life and a new job. But the job fell through and the young

family found itself 3,000 miles away from loved ones and running

dangerously low on cash.

The small room is a blessing, Blake said, considering the family was

living day to day, sleeping in their car or camping, with few nights

spent under a motel roof.

The family said they have found a wealth of support in the community

since the Daily Pilot ran an article featuring them on Dec. 8.

Their stay at the Costa Mesa Motor Inn, home to many transitional

families, was paid for by a volunteer from Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and

a $2,500 fund has been collected for the family.

Blake has done temporary catering work at Seacliff Country Club in

Huntington Beach and will start work as a car salesman at Capistrano Ford

in the upcoming year. His employment is pending a clean driving report

from the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is taking some time because

Blake has an out-of-state license.

Things are starting to look up, but a poor credit history and three

months of homelessness still haunt the young couple. Having bad credit

makes it hard enough to find an apartment, but not having pay stubs to

show work history is even worse.

“It’s hard to tell people to take your word for it,” Conway said.

Though still unsure of their housing in the long term, with

perseverance and a little faith, the family said they will make it. The

Blakes have made some good contacts in the community and even shared

Christmas Eve dinner with a Pilot reader who wanted to help.

Blake said he is looking forward to working in the New Year and can’t

wait to get his family back on its feet. The experience only makes them a

stronger family unit, Conway said. Having gone through this, they know

they can get through anything together.

-- Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .