LOMPOC, Calif. — While Unity Shoppe’s Lompoc Free Store enters its second year serving underserved residents with food and clothing support, one grassroots group is making sure help reaches those who can’t make it through the doors.
Circle of Caring, founded by Lompoc resident Anita Macias, brings meals, clothing and hygiene supplies directly to unhoused individuals across the city.
A lot of them can’t go to the Unity Shoppe, or can’t go to Catholic Charities, or can’t go to the food banks,” said Macias.
She explains how many people experiencing homelessness face barriers that keep them from seeking help at traditional service locations.
“They say, ‘We don’t bathe. We look dirty.’ They’re embarrassed, and some of them have no identification,” she said. “So it’s hard for them to come.”
Macias launched Circle of Caring in fall 2024 after personally purchasing meals for unhoused residents she encountered around Lompoc. What started as a small act of kindness quickly grew into a larger community effort.
She and her friend Anna Diaz began assembling snack bags filled with water, juice, chips and granola bars. As they spent more time with those in need, they realized food was only part of the challenge.
Soon, the group expanded to provide clothing, hygiene products, blankets and other essentials. Macias’ husband also joined the effort by repairing donated bicycles to help people get around town.
“We treat them with respect, with dignity,” Macias said. “We give them their food. We do not judge.”
Volunteers from across the community soon stepped in, helping cook meals and donate supplies.
Unity Shoppe Executive Director Angela Miller-Bevan said the organization partnered with Circle of Caring to help expand its outreach efforts.
“They said, ‘Can you get us produce and items from your shelves so that we can cook these meals?’” Miller-Bevan said. “So we partnered with them, and we provide that for them so they can go take the cooked meals.”
She said the partnership is rooted in empathy and understanding.
“We should all care because you never know when this will happen to you,” Miller-Bevan said. “I was raised in a very low-income household. I know what it looks like to have two items in the refrigerator. I know what that feels like — and it can happen to anybody.”
Now, every other Thursday, Circle of Caring distributes warm meals, clothing, sleeping bags and even small tents to Lompoc’s unhoused population.
For volunteers involved, the mission is simple: meet people where they are and remind them they are not forgotten.
It’s proof that even the smallest effort can make the biggest impact.
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