Oscar’s Palm Springs serves free Christmas breakfasts to folks in want

Oscar’s Palm Springs, the downtown restaurant and entertainment venue, served more than 100 free breakfasts on Christmas morning to individuals experiencing housing insecurity.

Saturday marked Oscar’s 6th annual Christmas Cheer feast, and restaurant owner Dan Gore says this year’s breakfast was the most well-attended yet. Radio station KGAY 106.5 provided music and an emcee on site. More than 40 volunteers served pancakes, eggs, sausages, potatoes, toast, coffee and juice between 8 and 11 a.m.

“I’m glad I get to drink coffee on Christmas,” said Antonio, a young man eating breakfast next to his suitcase full of belongings. Antonio said he has been struggling recently to find permanent housing in the greater Palm Springs area.

Housing insecurity in Palm Springs has been a topical issue this fall. In October, the city temporarily closed Baristo Park at 296 S. Calle Encilia to address public health and homeless issues. The park remains closed. In November, a group of downtown business owners held a meeting attended by Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills to discuss what one business leader described as growing issues with homelessness, drug use and other problems downtown. The city council also recently approved the purchase of a McCarthy Road site for a homeless navigation center.

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Palm Springs has risen from $790 in December 2014 to $1,950 in December 2021, according to real estate website Zumper. Rent Cafe, another real estate website, estimates average rent to be closer to $1,600 but adds that fewer than 40% of Palm Springs rental units are available for less than $1,500 per month. The median household income in Palm Springs is slightly more than $53,000 per year. About 17% of residents live in poverty, according to census data. 

Gore started his Christmas morning at 6 a.m. to walk around downtown and spread the word about Oscar’s free breakfast. He acknowledged recent events have caused friction between the unhoused and business communities — including his own restaurant — and that made reaching out to unhoused individuals more challenging this year.

“People are nervous because usually as a business owner, I’m kicking them out in the morning. I open my business, they’re sleeping in my business, they’re camping in my business, and I gotta kick them out,” Gore said.

“So it’s hard to get them to come back. Not just in my business, but they’re not used to people actually welcoming them. If you think about it, usually it’s about people telling them to go. So having the volunteers just welcoming them here this morning — they have to feel welcome.”

Gore said Saturday’s event was not about trying to solve housing insecurity downtown but about spreading kindness and thoughtfulness on Christmas.

“We’re here to make sure (unhoused individuals) know that they’re cared about and thought about as human beings,” he said.

Tiffany, who is experiencing homelessness, said at times she feels “unwelcome” downtown, but today she felt very welcome.

Ben, eating beside her, said the event was special because it allowed members of the unhoused community, like him and Tiffany and their friend Rodney, to share a meal together and touch base, which they can’t often do “being so sporadic.”

“Honestly, I keep a low profile, so I never really feel unwelcome (downtown),” Ben said. “But, I know members of this community for whatever reason may be considered to be personae non gratae.”

On Christmas morning, Ben said he felt like he could breathe a bit easier from a table at Oscar’s — welcomed into a Palm Springs business instead of feeling like he has to keep a low profile on the outskirts of downtown.

“It’s nice. It’s relaxing. It’s comforting.”

Jonathan Horwitz covers education for The Desert Sun. Reach him at jonathan.horwitz@desertsun.com or @Writes_Jonathan.