Oakmont residents greet homeless neighbors at Los Guilicos shelter (Press Democrat)

By Austin Murphy, February 4, 2020, Press Democrat

Thanks but no thanks, said the sign on the donation box at Star of the Valley Roman Catholic Church in Oakmont.

While the church was grateful for the two pickup truckloads of donations its parishioners had already given to their new neighbors at the Los Guilicos juvenile justice campus, enough was enough.

At the present time, Peter Hardy wrote on the sign posted Monday morning, the homeless people who had just moved into 60 prefabricated units across Highway 12 did not need further assistance. There was hardly any room in their tiny houses for more gifts.

Jackie Kinney’s call for baked goods was met with a similar surge of generosity. “Let’s welcome them with brownies,” she’d suggested online before the first wave of homeless arrived at the brand new village at Los Guilicos. Around 100 of her fellow Oakmonters responded, ensuring that the new arrivals will not want for desserts anytime soon. 

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