Over 500 community members gathered for a Christmas Day celebration at Sacred Heart Church, organized completely by church volunteers, including the Knights of Columbus and The New Arrivals Car Club.

“We got together and decided, you know what, we may not be able to solve the world hunger problem for today they’ll get a good hot meal, and the kids will get some good presents for Christmas,” says Ted Castellon, Knights of Columbus, and New Arrivals Car Club.

For many of the volunteers, the event was rewarding to participate in and share their time on Christmas Day.

“This is the true spirit I feel blessed everyone’s been just wonderful. It’s so heartwarming to see the children come, and everybody’s just so joyful today. I’d rather be here than anywhere else,” says Espy, a first-time event volunteer.

The event included parishioners, low-income people and the homeless all together at the table.

“Sometimes with a homeless, we want to do services for them, but we keep them as the other. And we need to build community […] One community, social economic leave my company racially it’s one community background wise. You look around, all different kinds of food people sitting at the table together sharing it’s like this is what community means,” says David Balch, Event Organizer.

“This right here is America in unity,” says Raul Martin Ortiz, Christmas event attendee.

“You don’t see this happening everywhere. I woke up this morning, and I thought to myself, ‘I’m homeless where can I go for Christmas this morning?’ I heard through word on the street, and I was like okay, I’ll come check it out, and I come here now I’m here, and I’m glad I came,” says John, an event attendee.

Children handed out toys to other children, and event organizers put together a raffle for larger toys and gifts that anyone could participate in.

“If you’re a kid, they can still go through something […] and when they come here, it might just be a little bit of hope, something that’s what I’m out here for,” says Michael Padilla, event volunteer.

Many sitting at tables with people they have never met before, and ending the day off as if they were family.

Located in Salinas’ Chinatown, Monterey County’s largest homeless encampment, is Closer Walk, a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides free resources including doctor’s check ups and legal advice.

The nonprofit was co-founded by David Balch at the start of the pandemic with his wife, after a full-time career in corporate law and a successful fight against cancer just a year before.

“You know, growing up, I always felt like I was a misfit and I became sort of king of the misfits. And for some reason, in my heart, there’s just a deep love for people who feel outside the system,” Balch said.

Right now, Balch’s team consists of 10 regular volunteers, including two therapists and two doctors, one of which is his wife, Christa Balch, a board certified Family Practice doctor and addiction specialist.

“So much of outreach is transactional. Here’s a jacket, thank you and you leave. But do we know their names? Do we know their stories, their pains?” David Balch said.

The Balchs hope to grow Closer Walk with a regular free legal clinic, addiction help and expanded medical services.

Source: https://www.ksbw.com/amp/article/nonprofit-gives-homeless-people-free-doctors-check-ups-legal-advice-and-more/42329509