COSTA MESA : Charity a 2-Way Street for Donor

The owner of an auto shop held a charity luncheon Sunday, celebrating a two-month food drive that raised 4,000 cans of food for the homeless and the needy.

About 50 people--many of them jobless, homeless or both--feasted on free potato salad, franks and beans, lemonade and a choice of three ice cream flavors in the garage of BCM Automotive on Superior Avenue.

The free lunch was the brainstorm of Ron Charter, owner of the shop, who was looking for a low-cost way to advertise his 3-year-old business. Charter came up with the idea of starting a food drive for the Share Our Selves charity, which is on the same street.

In January, Charter issued coupons for his business, offering discounts off any service or repair job in exchange for cans of food.

“Things just took off,” he said. “People with no car trouble at all were donating food. I think it has something to do with the recession. This is just a little way they can help out.”

The original goal of the drive was to raise 2,500 cans. But by March 15, shelves that usually held auto parts were lined with 4,000 canned goods, ranging from corn to refried beans.

Charter said he spent $500 to buy the food for Sunday’s picnic. But he figures that the drive saved him $10,000 in advertising fees and added 300 customers to his clientele.

Among the several dozen people at the picnic were Robert Stack and a group of friends from a Costa Mesa public assistance-work program. Stack, who lost his job at a car dealership a year ago, said he found out about the picnic from a flyer at Share Our Selves.

“The food is great--good potato salad,” Stack said.

The group was entertained by Charter’s father, Dave Cordi, and his friend Mary Monroe, who both wore cowboy hats and sang country songs.

Later, the donated cans of food were loaded into a truck and taken to the SOS office for local distribution. SOS executive director Barbara Considine said the charity gives away about 1,000 grocery bags of food a week, so the 4,000 cans will go quickly.

“It’s great to have anyone donate a food drive, but what makes it special is that it’s being done by a neighbor,” she said.