Comfortable city still home to those in need

November 19, 2004

It's hard to believe that there are needy people in an area where there are new houses with garages filled with two cars and a boat, but just like every other community, Oakley has its share. Lucky for those people, the local groups seem to be taking care of their own.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the question seems to be going around about why Oakley doesn't have its own holiday dinner for the poor. Antioch and Brentwood each have one and Pittsburg has at least three, but Oakley doesn't seem to have services for anyone.

Why? Weekdays, St. Anthony's Church on the corner of O'Hara Avenue and Cypress Road offers free hot meals under the countywide Loaves and Fishes program. According to church officials only about seven or eight homeless people attend that program. The church fills up on that day with families in need of support. Mostly families who are temporarily down on their luck, but not truly homeless. The Loaves and Fishes program is open to everyone and no proof of income is required, so it works for what it is needed for.

Other churches in town report that there are families who are in need of services and rather than advertise who they are in fear of embarrassing them, the church offers help year round, not just at holiday time. While one church might see seven or eight, add a couple here and there and the total becomes higher. If not for the support of each of those groups, nothing would be available for those in need.

Looking at Oakley's demographics from the 2000 census, there are close to 26,000 residents in the community. Oakley's median household income is $64,868, higher than the county's or those of neighboring cities. So we're doing pretty good according to averages, but does that mean that Oakley doesn't have a need to support its own?

Surprisingly, when local people are asked, the answer to that question still seems to be no. While those actual homeless may head over the hill for services that just aren't provided here, there are still a fair amount of people who need help on a regular basis.

Each year, St. Anthony's Church sets up 2,000 baskets for low-income families in Oakley. For them it isn't just about helping the homeless. Also, that is just one church. The other churches in town do the same thing for their parishes. There are also groups like the Oakley-Delta Lions Club that help those in need by supplying baskets and toys for Oakley families.

Looking at those numbers it is easy to draw a different picture of the small community than just the one of new houses, with two cars in the garage and a boat.

Some of these needy families may have the family money provider out of work for several months because he or she was laid off. Some may have a family member who was part of the two incomes recently die or leave the family through divorce. Perhaps they are a senior who has worked their life but never had the chance to make enough to keep any savings and was forced to retire and live off a small Social Security stipend. Whatever the case, there do appear to be those in need.

During the next few weeks, groups like St. Anthony's will be asking for your help by donating a canned food. They might have someone sitting outside the grocery store or have a box inside the store where donated food items are accepted. Even one canned food item can help those in need. The Boy Scouts are also looking for canned food. They have been placing plastic bags on doorsteps with information on how a donation can be made.

It's a shame that the holidays is the only time we tend to think about donating food items, but if that's the best we can do, so be it. For those who are in need of a holiday meal next Thursday, many of those in Oakley can attend the Veterans Hall in Brentwood. With the help of Golden Hills Church, the group makes a great meal. Donations are still being accepted for their dinner, as well.

Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.

Distributed by the Contra Costa Times

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