Throughout the world, families woke up Saturday, enjoyed a hearty breakfast and opened gifts.
This was also the scene at Opportunity House, Vacaville’s homeless shelter, proving that no matter one’s economic status or housing situation, residents could still experience the joys of Christmas.
Also, in the spirit of Christmas, it was the essence of giving that made this annual tradition at Opportunity House possible, from the businesses that donated gifts to the volunteers who donated their time to cook and serve hot meals.
Beth Platt has been volunteering for the last six years with her kids, Kayla and Jason. When they started, Jason was 13 and Kayla was 15, and they have continued the tradition as adults.
“I wanted to give back to the community,” Beth said. “I wanted to show a good example for my kids, and it’s been great that they’ve been willing to do this for the past six years.”
Alongside Colleen Berumen, executive director of Opportunity House, and her husband, Ralph, the Platts helped cook up a hearty meal that included scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, tater tots, a breakfast casserole made by Beth Platt and an assortment of fresh fruit.
“We don’t normally have a hot breakfast,” Colleen Berumen said. “It’s usually on the go-type breakfasts, so doing a really nice breakfast is a great treat for everybody.”
Platt said her favorite thing about volunteering is seeing the happiness of the residents as they enjoy a great breakfast.
“Every time we leave here, we feel invigorated,” she said. “We feel that we’ve done something Christmas-worthy.”
Opportunity House was joined this year by a new set of volunteers: the Holve family. Dr. Dana Holve, a veterinarian with SPCA of Solano County, is a member of Soroptimist International of Vacaville with Berumen, who told her about the event. She came by Christmas morning with her husband, Matt, and daughters, Katie and Alora, to give them an opportunity — no pun intended– to do an activity that would “deemphasize the commercialism of Christmas and emphasize the serving and giving back.”
“Colleen was very kind to find something that the kids could do,” she said.
Clad in pajamas, the Holves helped dish out the meals to residents when it was time to eat. Matt said he hoped his daughters would take away a sense of philanthropy.
“Not everybody has a lot during the holidays,” he said. “We need to do our best to distribute it.”
The Holves also helped to deliver the presents to the families once breakfast was done. Families gathered in the lounge area — with some passing the time by watching “SpongeBob SquarePants” Christmas specials on TV — as volunteers brought down wrapped presents from upstairs and called out the names of families to retrieve them and open them.
There was excitement as kids opened their gifts, which included everything from soccer balls to puzzles to coloring books to Hot Wheel tracks to a bike. One kid received a Hoverboard and rode it around the lounge area.
Families were grateful to have a traditional Christmas they otherwise would not have been able to experience. Gloria Perez is Opportunity House’s longest current resident, having resided at the shelter for a year and a half with her three kids. She had developed an addiction, had her kids taken away by Child Protective Services and spent time in jail before reclaiming custody of her children and coming to Opportunity House.
Perez signed up for Opportunity House to change her life. She said it has. She now has a job at Opportunity House’s thrift stores, is set to graduate from the program next week and even has an apartment lined up.
“It’s helped me in every way possible,” she said. “I have a real life again.”
Berumen said Opportunity House was serving more than 40 residents, which is the most of any year since she started working at the shelter four years ago.
“We’re helping a lot of people,” she said.
Despite the frenzy of preparing for the breakfast, Berumen said she enjoys doing it each year.
“I love doing this every Christmas,” she said. “It”s a nice way to do something for others when this holiday tends to be very self-centered nowadays and all about presents and ‘What am I getting?’ This is just really nice to do something for others.”
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December 26, 2021 at 05:32AM
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Volunteers bring holiday cheer to Opportunity House - Vacaville Reporter
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