Mission Viejo Couple To Serve Food, Care Packages At Daily's
SAN CLEMENTE, CA — When a musician and a restaurant manager get together, they can do some put together a pretty cool event.
Dan Forster, an acoustic musician from Mission Viejo, and his wife Christie Smith, the general manager of the recently-opened Daily's Sports Grill on El Camino Real in San Clemente, are putting together an event to feed the homeless on Thanksgiving. Forster plans to jam out some classic rock on his acoustic guitar, while Smith has procured some seriously good bread and turkey from Daily's.
From 12-3 on Thanksgiving, the Forsters and three to four volunteer friends are giving away about 75 brown bag lunches — full of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sandwiches and non-perishable items like juice boxes and granola bars — and personal care bags — with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, lotions, blankets and more — in the parking lot behind Daily's. The items will be served on a first-come, first-serve basis until 3 p.m., or until supplies run out.
Forster, the retired founder and CEO of the inForm Decisions software company who became a full-time musician three years ago, said that he's long wanted to offer his support to what he sees as a growing problem.
"I've always wanted to do this, I've been saying every year I want to help, but our kids are grown and they're going off in different directions, so Christie and I are alone, and she has a heart for it too," he said. "Just from being [at Daily's] and going there all time, we just notice all these people everywhere. We've never really worked in a beach community before, and so we're just part of it, and that's when we started to think, wow, we could do something."
Forster and Smith started advertising for donations a few weeks ago, and Forster says he's been heartened by an outpouring of donations from the community. Smith is also traveling to restaurants and homeless shelters Wednesday to spread the word. If not enough people show up, Forster says he and Smith plan to drive around town offering food to any homeless people they see.
As of Wednesday, Dan said that they have "way too many toothbrushes," but still need non-perishable food items like granola bars and juice boxes.
Still, Forster said that he and Smith are considering putting on events like this more often. "Based on the outpouring, we're trying to figure out if we should keep something going, and have Daily's offer a semi-regular thing like this," he said.
Daily's is a traditional sports bar that started in Rancho Santa Margarita and opened its second location in San Clemente Sept. 20 in the old Duke's. Dan said that the owners had been ready to open since earlier this year, but had to wait until September, when cases were dropping, to get the green light. Since then, Dan says that like so many other businesses, they've had a rough time.
"It's been difficult, because they've had start-stop, start-stop stuff, which is difficult for restaurants with inventory, and food, and it's obviously financially stressful for the owners," he said. "The city is letting them put some tables outside, which is helpful, but they don't have a back - the back is just an alley, so it's tough for them. They had to carve out a big area outside, so it's just some tables out front, so it's very open."
Forster, meanwhile, has been able to book about two-three gigs playing classic rock covers, even since the pandemic hit. "When things opened up I was indoors, now I'm back outdoors again, and some of the places that don't have an outdoor license," he said, noting that he does some gigs for free if the restaurants need it. "I was supposed to play at Luxe, which is the popular restaurant in Dana Point, but they don't have an outdoor license - various restaurants have to have licenses for music for indoor/outdoor stuff, so I bounce around and do what I can."
Stay tuned for a very pro bono - meaning "for the good" - gig tomorrow, in the outdoor space of one of San Clemente's newest additions.
To donate items, stop by Daily's Wednesday at 204 S. El Camino Real in San Clemente and ask for Christie Smith. To donate money, Venmo Dan at @dan-forster or give to his PayPal at danielGforster.
Related coverage:
Where To Donate Thanksgiving Meals: Orange County Rescue Mission
7K Cars Expected At 'We Give Thanks' Drive-Thru Event in OC
Millions Made Hungry: Pandemic Could Include Your Neighbor
Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.
This article originally appeared on the San Clemente Patch
