Avila’s El Ranchito and Laguna Presbyterian team up to provide Waymakers with Taco Tuesdays

The old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” suggests that the caring involvement of an entire community is necessary for its children to grow and prosper in healthy environments.

It is also an especially appropriate description of how generous members of Laguna Presbyterian Church and Avila’s El Ranchito Mexican restaurant are teaming up with Waymakers Youth Shelter Laguna Beach to provide the shelter’s clients with Taco Tuesday meals now through the end of this year. 

“We want to show our clients, who are at-risk youth ages 12-17, that there are individuals in the community that care about their well-being like we do,” explained Chelsea Burch, Volunteer Coordinator at Waymakers. “We leverage community resources in our work to create healthier situations for these youth, which includes sharing meals together. As you can imagine, the COVID-19 crisis has made it much more difficult financially for nonprofits like ours, and so we are especially grateful to El Ranchito and Laguna Presbyterian Church for providing the Taco Tuesday meals. This will make a huge difference for us.” 

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Courtesy of El Ranchito Facebook

The Avila Family: Michael and Christine and their two children, Benson and Braden

Michael Avila, whose family-owned Mexican restaurants have had a reputation for “treating customers like family” for over 50 years, says, “We’re honored to now be able to extend our hospitality to the clients of Waymakers through these Taco Tuesday meals.” 

Likewise, Camron Hauer, newly appointed Laguna Presbyterian Church Student Director and Laguna Beach High School Water Polo coach, notes, “I have been inspired with the care that Waymakers brings to those who come through their doors. It has been a pleasure to see other organizations and individuals reaching out to them in order to be a part of what they are doing. I urge anyone who wants to help to contact Waymakers in order to see how they can support them. We who are lucky enough to be a part of this community know how special it is. It is my hope that we continue to be a community who loves our neighbors.”

Hauer’s personal connection with Waymakers started with him being an Elder representing the Mission Outreach Committee, which supports Waymakers through Laguna Presbyterian Church.

For more information on Waymakers Youth Shelters, visit www.waymakersoc.org.