18 lagunabeachindy . com DECEMBER 8 , 2023
GUEST OPINION :
Community Connects During Shared Breakfast
By Theresa Keegan
It was , like most mornings in Laguna Beach , beautiful . The sky ’ s brilliant blues were effortlessly harmonizing with the sun-dappled Pacific Ocean . At Heisler Park , people in lawn bowling whites hurried to their lanes , while just north , tucked in the hillside at Picnic Beach , Christmas music emerged .
Rounding into the arena , people of all ages were chatting , milling about , tapping into the huge coffee
The annual community breakfast at Heisler Park includes not just sharing a meal but also distributing new clothes and sleeping bags to the unhoused . Photo / Theresa Keegan
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urn and indulging in a generous breakfast buffet . It was a mash-up of folks . Some sporting red designer leisurewear in a nod to the holiday season , others dressed in assorted layers , sporting all the clothes they own .
It was the first Saturday in December and time for the annual Community Christmas Breakfast . For over 20 years , Laguna has hosted this opportunity to feed and clothe unhoused neighbors and warm up all people ’ s souls during the holiday season . It was difficult to tell who enjoyed the morning more – the hosts or the guests .
The idea was sparked back in the late 1990s when Rick Shoemaker was concluding an overseas trip with Habitat for Humanity . As 10 families moved into their newly built homes , he was so moved by their spirit , their hugs of appreciation to the volunteers , their connectedness , that when he returned to Laguna , he wanted to do something with our community ’ s unhoused .
“ We needed to do something to get everyone together , “ he said , “ to know what the homeless are going through , to understand their plight in life .” With the resounding support of the Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church , the community breakfast was organized .
Like all healthy things , it has evolved through the years . Now , young members of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops are involved . Numerous churches provide support and serve .
In his offering prayer , Pastor Don Sciortino of Net-Works church in Laguna Beach summed up the day .
“ God never intended us to do life alone ,” he said as people throughout the crowd nodded in agreement . “ This is about receiving the Gift .” And that gift wasn ’ t found amid the four picnic tables that overflowed with warm jackets , heavy sweaters , new sleeping bags , socks and gloves , all waiting for the taking .
It was found in the connection of all gathered .
Jason , a sandy-haired young man with an impish smile , stood back , watching as other unhoused friends sorted through the offerings . He explained he didn ’ t want anything – he had everything he needed to survive in the hills east of town . While he recounts a past filled with some jail stints and confrontations with various monsters , real or imagined , he also embraces a huge respect for the balance found in nature . He passionately describes how the hills roll into each other and then wind down to the ocean , how the animals live in harmony .
“ Too bad we can ’ t be that well organized ,” he lamented . “ We ’ d all be better off .”
Musician Felisha Dunne serenaded the group with traditional carols and upbeat songs . The popular Orange County singer explained she just really likes to give back to the community , supporting the many churches and all who were there . “ I really like that unity ,” she says . And there ’ s another reason she volunteers at the community breakfast .
“ The holidays are hard - a lot of people are hurting . I can ease that through music and lift people ’ s spirits .”
Later in the morning , Xavier silently slunk to a table and reached in for a new pair of socks . He didn ’ t want to take anything else , as he ’ s hoping to get to Florida in January to attend college . He found himself on the streets following an accident that totaled his car , which left him
KEEGAN , PAGE 23