Guzzisti visit St. Clare’s Home in Escondido, California

Checking the spread on her table for the third time, I can see the look of concern on Mani Ross’s face. Starting before dawn, her and husband Bill began laying out the feast; coffees, hot chocolate, treats by the dozens and fresh fruit. There’s enough food and drink here for a small platoon, but no one here to eat it. Is the dark December sky keeping riders away, or is it something else? Everyone’s sick of talking about the economy, but the reality of it continues to hammer our daily lives. Especially at Christmas it seems, when the pressure to give is highest. Eventually riders do trickle in, each warmed and welcomed but something is different. “Thirty bikes showed up last year” Mani says. Shortly before departure the total count is thirteen.

Situated between the local Jiffy Lube and a thrift store, St. Clare’s isn’t much to look at. More strip mall/convenience store than the beacon of hope you’d expect. But inside these walls where each story carries a matching broken heart, reality is made manifest. Stories that are not just heard, but felt. For many, St. Clare’s is the last stop; the end of the line. A safety net stretched precariously across rock bottom. Here, one either survives or moves on to where hope is gone.

“We started this maybe twelve, thirteen years ago” remembers Bill. Inspired by similar holiday ‘toy run’ type charities, Bill shared his interest in starting something locally with his wife Mani and son Luke, then plans were formed. A veteran fireman, Bill’s passion for Moto Guzzi is internationally known. Not only is he a talented restoration expert, but his tuning and fabrication skills have come together impressively with the Mandello Meteor (see link below) a liter-sized, streamlined Guzzi-powered record breaker. “We decided to avoid the high visibility organizations in favor of one that was truly in need. A place where our contributions would make a real difference” Bill explained. “We eventually learned of St. Clare’s Home and their wonderful program and were convinced this was the right choice. At the time, they had homes all over North San Diego county, not just Escondido. Amazingly, they were almost in our backyard.”  Holding the pre-ride open house at the Ross estate, bikes and bikers park and mingle around Bill’s collection of racers and restoration projects, munching happily on Mani’s homemade treats. Some ride to the Ross's and drop off their donation there, others deliver it to Saint Clare's in person.

Since it was established in 1983 by Sister Claire Frawley, St. Clare's has helped over 5,000 young mothers and their children escape violence, homelessness, abuse and addiction. According to the information I was given, St. Clare’s is and was the “first and largest provider of long-term transitional housing for homeless and abused women and children in North San Diego County.”    

Arriving at the facility I’m introduced to Ronnie Root, who currently serves as both Director of Programs and a case manager. A shining example of what St. Clare’s programs can do when mixed with renewed confidence and direction, Ronnie’s story serves to inspire and build up the women under her care. “I spent ten-years in and out of prisons for drug charges and lost my children in the process. I wanted to clean up and change my life, but I didn't know how.” Mirroring the statements shared by some of the mothers enrolled in St. Clare’s self-help courses, Root’s story of turning a life of dependency into a fulfilling career proves these programs work. “In 2005 I was in trouble again and enrolled here. They helped me not only to get clean and regain custody of my son, but taught me how live again.”

Presents exchanged and well wishes given, Bill and several of the visiting bikers in attendance fired up their machines for some laps around the parking lot. Grinning with glee, one can only hope that by giving these at-risk kids a glimpse of the freedom and fun promised by motorcycling will encourage them to dream of a better life. Never, at any time has a motorcycle enjoyed a better, more important purpose than this: to lift the human spirit.

While we enjoy the warmth of the holidays with friends and family, those living troubled lives often find this time of year overwhelmingly painful. For these people, Christmastime serves as a constant reminder of what they once had, or don’t and may never have again. For St. Clare’s, the economic stranglehold squeezes hardest. The combined effects of reduced funding and charitable giving has placed St. Clare’s on unstable ground; being only weeks away from closing. Using this stage to express my personal outlook, welfare for welfare’s sake may be a matter of opinion and debate. However, when considering programs like St. Clare’s Home, where women are taught and trained to break the chains of co-dependency, the positive presents itself as critically important--a solution to the problem, not a contributor.

Any motorcyclist worth his salt clearly knows the difference between helping and giving, and when that chance is offered, the strong of character always respond. The best recipe for this or any season starts with the most important ingredient; compassion. Thankfully, we have people like Bill and Mani Ross who lead by example. Perhaps those who have experienced a hard winter in life can relate best. For the rest, be thankful that you never have. And if in the future, by chance or circumstance you do, hopefully there will still be a place like St. Clare's for you. Nolan Woodbury

Saint Clare’s Home
2091 East Valley Parkway
Escondido, California 92027
760-741-0122
760-741-1241 (fax)