Calexico 3rd Annual Homeless Resource Fair gives hope to the homeless

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Calexico Brown Bag Coalition co-founder Maribel Padilla said Saturday’s event was not a fix.

“Fixing would be giving them a home,” Padilla said.

The 3 rd Annual Resource Fair for the Homeless was held at the men’s shelter on Encinas Avenue in Calexico. It provided many valuable things for them, such as food.

“Today we had taquito guacamole plate, rice and beans, salad,” Padilla said.

And chance to get cleaned up.

“They get to actually get a towel, get some shampoo, get everything that they need. We provide them. In their goody bags, they have shaving cream. They have everything that they need,” Padilla said.

Nineteen agencies reached out to them. The Lions Club of Imperial gave out 50 pairs of reading glasses.

“They know that we care,” Padilla said.

The homeless got registered in case of an emergency.

“The homeless that are dying out in the street. Nobody knows who they are,” Padilla explained.

She said many things contribute to people becoming homeless.

“The drugs. There’s the alcoholism,” Padilla said.

She added that more than 200 are homeless in Calexico.

“Some people just can’t get a job,” Padilla said.

The Brown Bag Coalition has been feeding them every night for the past three years at the city parking lot in front of the One-Stop offices on Heber Avenue.

“Some of them have told us, today I didn’t know where I was going to get food. I was so hungry. We’ve fed up to 75,” Padilla explained.

Organizing the nightly feeding is a big job, requiring lots of work and energy. We asked Padilla why the coalition did it.

“Somebody has to care. And I care,” Padilla answered.

She said their work gave the homeless one valuable thing above all else.

“If I can’t fix it, I’ll at least try to help and give them hope,” Padilla explained.