AREA NEEDY FIND HOME FOR HOLIDAY; T.O. FEAST FEEDS MORE THAN 400 NEEDY RESIDENTS.Byline: David Greenberg The creator of this article, or someone who has substantially contributed to it, may have a conflict of interest regarding its subject matter. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Daily News Staff Writer Lon Vernier vernier (vûr`nēr), auxiliary scale, either straight or an arc of a circle, designed to slide along a fixed scale. Its unit divisions, usually smaller than those on the fixed scale, permit a far more precise reading. , 24, homeless and alone, has not had much to celebrate in the past year. A graduate of the University of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries. , he said he left that state in search of work and warm weather, only to find sporadic sporadic /spo·rad·ic/ (spo-rad´ic) occurring singly; widely scattered; not epidemic or endemic. spo·rad·ic or spo·rad·i·cal adj. 1. Occurring at irregular intervals. 2. employment for wages far too low to make monthly rent payments. Vernier spent Christmas Eve sleeping in a Westlake Village church, and he felt lucky to do so. Many other nights are spent sleeping in his tent in a faraway far·a·way adj. 1. Very distant; remote. 2. Abstracted; dreamy: a faraway look. faraway Adjective 1. very distant 2. field. For Vernier, the 4th Annual Conejo Community Holiday Dinner on Christmas was his only gift. ``It's a cool chance for homeless people and other people to get together,'' he said. ``If you're from out of state and you have no family, this is the closest thing to family that you can get.'' More than 400 people, homeless or just alone, devoured most of what was offered: 240 pounds of turkey, 500 servings each of potatoes and stuffing, 480 rolls, 40 gallons of fruit punch and 100 pies and cakes. The Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. Cab Co. provided free rides to the meal at Thousand Oaks High School Thousand Oaks High School is a high school established in 1962 and located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is a California Distinguished School, and offers curriculum at all levels for Thousand Oaks students. The mascot is the lancer. for anyone who was short on cash. ``This is a place where everyone is welcome on Christmas Day to share in the holiday spirit with friends and community members,'' said Donn Delson, who organized the event. The feast was prepared by 180 volunteers, including students from six area high schools. ``I've wanted to do something like this for a few years and I never had the opportunity so I jumped at the offer,'' said Nicole Myden, an 18-year-old Woodland Hills resident, home for college break. Agoura Hills resident Samantha Heller, 18, said the day was perfect for volunteers who, like herself, are Jewish. ``It's so easy for us to come. We don't give up a day with our families. It's so nice to make their day special for them.'' For Vernier, spending Christmas with strangers is far better than spending it alone. ``It means there are still people who care,'' he said. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Volunteer Kristy Schroer, 16, plays with visits with Daniel Lopez Martinez, 1, and Daniel's cousin Luis Alas. (2--Color) Erica Hoffman puts a roll on Bob Miller's plate at the 4th Annual Conejo Community Holiday Dinner. Michael Owen
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