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| Couple 'walks its talk' in aiding the poorDEIRDRE PETTIT / Half Moon Bay Review / May 11, 2000 Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, May 10, 2000 10:00 PM PDT Homelessness is invisible in Half Moon Bay. This is one of the most enduring obstacles to providing help to the men, women and their children, many of them Spanish-speaking day and agricultural laborers, who make their homes in cars and makeshift camps tucked away in Coastside canyons. But this didn't stop Mike and Kathy Niece from moving their branch of a Christian aid coalition, Magdalene House, from Oakland to the city in February. Mike and Kathy dedicate their lives to aiding the poor through their involvement in the Catholic Worker movement, which Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day began in New York in 1933. The Catholic Church is considering making Day a saint in recognition for her lifelong dedication to helping the poor. The organization is based on direct service to the poor, voluntary poverty, communal living, nonviolence, and the interconnection of people with their environment. "This is going to be our life work," Mike said. "One of the phrases Catholic Worker uses is, 'We're in it for the long haul.'" Last year, after giving part of their time during the past four years to Magdalene House in Oakland, the couple quit their full-time jobs, Mike as a registered nurse and Kathy as an occupational therapist, to dedicate their time to helping the poor. But this step didn't come easy. "It took us a while to come to a level of trust to say, 'OK God, we are going to do this, don't let us down," Kathy said. "It's a wonderful feeling when you realize God is in control." The couple came to Half Moon Bay after Larry Purcell, a retired priest and fellow Catholic Worker from Redwood City, bought a house on the coast where they could base their work. Since moving to the two-story home on Kelly Avenue, the Nieces have adopted an eight-member Mexican family from the state of Jalisco. The family, which had been living in a homeless shelter in San Mateo, now occupies one story of the Nieces' home. Before moving to Half Moon Bay, the parents had driven from San Mateo to drop off their children, whose ages range from 3 years old to 19, at Coastside schools before going to work for a local nursery. "I couldn't even imagine it," Mike said, explaining that shelters are rough places for anyone, but especially for children. The couple believes God sent the family to them. The Nieces don't charge the family rent or any other fee and instead rely on donations to help pay their expenses. "We want them to focus on saving their money," Kathy said. "That's the big thing, getting them self-sufficient." On the weekends, the families work together fixing up the back yard and planting a garden. "They really are a wonderful family," Kathy said. "One of the things that attracted me to the Catholic Workers is the 'personal-ism.' I guess that's what the call to love is about, anyway." The word that the Nieces had arrived on the coast spread quickly, in more than one circle. The family they adopted was the first of six who came to them asking for help soon after they moved into their new home. One man who asked for their assistance was living in a car with his pregnant wife, according to Kathy. It was hard to turn them away, especially given the dearth of other aid organizations on the Coastside. The word of the arrival of a Catholic Worker house also caused a stir in the neighborhood where the Magdalene House is located. Several people called City Hall to report the operation, according to Planning Director Ken Curtis. The neighbors went so far as to hold two meetings to discuss its potential impact on the neighborhood. City Planner Bill Smith attended one with nearly three dozen residents of the neighborhood. A third meeting was held in City Hall on March 19, attended by Purcell, Alsace Lorraine neighborhood resident Steve Wilson, City Manager Blair King and the Planning Department to discuss the neighbor's concerns. "Basically, the neighbors on Kelly, Miramontes and surrounding streets had some concern about the house because there is evidently some form of missionary work at the house," Wilson said. "We didn't know about compliance with planning and zoning laws. "In other words, we didn't want it to be a neighborhood meeting and distribution facility," he said. But neither Niece was surprised or disappointed by the reaction. "Most Catholic Workers are in inner cities," Kathy said, citing a fear that they would be m magnet for transient people to the middle-class residential neighborhood. "(The) Half Moon Bay Catholic Worker (home) is in a very nice residential community. I think it was very natural that there was concern from the neighbors," Kathy said. The couple has asked any neighbors with questions or concerns or who just want to talk to stop by and have a cup of coffee with them. "The fear was understandable, but as people are getting to know us, that's going away," Kathy said. "We have a family living here with us, who are just like every other family on the block." "There are a lot of wonderful people in this community who have done wonderful things for us," added Mike. The neighborhood has made peace with the house in their community. "If the Catholic Worker walks its talk," Wilson said, "I don't think there will be difficulties with the neighborhood." Now, Mike and Kathy are working with organizations such as the Coastside Opportunity Center and Food Without Strings to help find their organization's niche on the coast. Mike has a beat-up old delivery van that he has begun using to seek out people in rural areas of the Coastside who need food and clothing. "It's all about being called to love. You look at somebody and try to see Christ in them," Kathy said. "It's not always easy to do, but that's the goal." Back to Top Back to News Stories |