Seniors Count Their Blessings at Annual Feast

The last time Evelyn Anderson didn’t prepare Thanksgiving dinner, America was fighting World War II--the wounds of Pearl Harbor the winter before still fresh and deep.

That was 50 years ago.

“This time, I told my children and grandchildren, ‘I’m not fixin’ any turkey. I’ve paid my dues,’ ” Anderson, 68, said Thursday, adding that one of her daughters all but went into shock. “She said, ‘What? You’re not gonna cook dinner? Mom!’ ”

On this Thanksgiving Day, Evelyn Anderson--a Northridge widow with six children and 12 grandchildren--decided to take her sister, Betty, to a free turkey dinner served by the Calabasas Rotary Club to 330 seniors, most of whom were unable to spend the day with family or friends in more traditional ways.

“We keep feeding more people every year,” said the event’s founder, Rotarian Marv Stanton, adding that 70 guests showed up at the inaugural dinner five years ago. “Now, I get phone calls as early as February from people who want to know if we’re going to have it again.”

The Rotary Club’s feast at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas resembled a festive party and stood in contrast with other Thanksgiving Day events in which assorted sponsors with hearts as big as the San Fernando Valley reached out to the hungry and homeless.

At the East Valley Multipurpose Center in North Hollywood, several hundred volunteers, including City Councilman John Ferraro, gathered to pick up deliveries for about 3,000 homebound seniors. The traditional Thanksgiving fare was donated by Meals on Wheels and the Valley Interfaith Council Nutrition Program.

At the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center’s residential facility in Van Nuys, 84 men undergoing treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction sat down to a Thanksgiving dinner and participated in drawings for clothing.

At the Pacoima Seventh-day Adventist Church, pastor Ron C. Smith preached from the Book of Matthew. “Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself,” he said, before more than 400 homeless and low-income people filed into the church’s multipurpose room for a free dinner and clothing donated by the church, the Pacoima Community Youth Culture Center and the Boys & Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley.

“We used to just give away boxes of food--until about eight years ago,” organizer Jane McGlory said. “Now, we can’t do that anymore because there’s no place for these people to cook their food. And instead of just single homeless men, we’re now seeing more homeless families and children than ever.”

Meanwhile, the Calabasas Rotary Club’s guests, ranging in age from 60 to 90, arrived at midday in five school buses, their transportation arranged by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joy Picus and Councilman Hal Bernson. They packed the Sagebrush Cantina--a place with sawdust on the floor, neon on the walls and music in the air--to almost overflowing.

They sang “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “Sentimental Journey” and “Over the Rainbow.” They feasted on turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie served by 70 volunteers, including children of Rotarians, and paid for by assorted donors, including club members.

And--even in a year of layoffs and cutbacks, rioting and recession, hardship and heartbreak--they gave thanks.

“We’re all thankful we’re alive,” said Anna Sgambati, 71, of Northridge, who was joined by her husband, Thomas, 77, and their 37-year-old son, also named Thomas.

“We’re grateful to be alive in America,” she said. “They pay more attention to seniors here than in any other part of the world. If you read the newspaper, you’ll see they don’t eat in those other places. Here, they make sure you eat.”

Her sentiments were shared by Bud Peterson, 74, and his companion, Marion Sederberg, 76, both of Chatsworth.

“Well, I got up this morning--and I’m alive!” said Peterson, a retired special-effects prop maker for motion pictures that include “Forever Amber,” “The Alamo” and “Raise the Titanic.”

“We’re thankful for our health, our friendships and our families,” said Sederberg, a retired editor of a trade magazine.

Both are grateful, too, they said, that government appears to be doing more than ever for seniors.

“Our government has to, now. We’re a big market,” Sederberg said.

“And with a lot of votes,” Peterson chimed in.

Yetta Kurz, 77, of Sherman Oaks, who led the sing-along, said proudly that she has been a registered voter for 48 years. “I was telling people as far back as the 1960s that our government needed to do more for seniors,” she said. “Now, it’s time for all of us to join forces behind Bill Clinton and make sure that his promises can come to light.”

Not everyone, however, shared the sunny optimism and patriotism that seemed to ring so loudly on this day.

Evelyn Anderson, for one, complained bitterly about some mobile home park proprietors who, she said, take advantage of seniors on fixed incomes by raising monthly land-space leases that accompany home mortgages.

“A lot of people my age sell their houses so they can live more cheaply in a mobile home,” she said. “But now, they’re paying more than $500 a month to rent the space--and overall they’re paying more than what they used to pay on the mortgages for their houses.”

Not far away, Lenore Machanic, 70, of West Hills, sitting with friends, also conceded that not everything is right for seniors. But she said she’s thankful for “what we do have.”

“As bad as things are, they could be a lot worse,” Machanic said. “Let’s hope they get better.”

Her faith in tomorrow, she said, was revitalized three days ago when she attended an “Adopt a Grandparent” day hosted by students at Cleveland High School in Reseda. The students prepared a turkey dinner and dessert for grandparents, including a 93-year-old woman.

“It’s great,” she said, “to see our young people show so much enthusiasm toward helping folks our age.”