Helping those who help

Suzie Harrison

Experience warm tropical breezes by taking a trip to the islands,

without having to pack a suitcase, via No Square Theatre’s inaugural

summer kickoff Island Party to benefit the Laguna Relief and Resource

Center June 4.

Since the fires ravaged Laguna Beach in 1993, the Relief and

Resource Center has been a helping hand to locals in need. Now, they

need a helping hand.

“Talk about community; you don’t get more community-oriented than

the Resource Center,” No Square founder Bree Burgess Rosen said.

“They do their work quietly and sacrifice to make it happen.”

Burgess Rosen said 100% of the proceeds from the Island Party will

go to the Resource Center.

“It’s really our first fundraiser. We need money to support all of

our [programs],” board member Don Black said. “We’re in dire straits

and need to do something dramatic, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Black said manydon’t know Laguna Resource Center exists, let alone

the agency’s importance to the community.

“We’re wide open; anybody that’s needy, we try and help them,”

Black said.

The nonprofit’s three primary purposes are to support the city

with disaster preparedness, aid the homeless, and help Laguna’s

low-income families.

“The least-known thing we’re active in is disaster preparedness,”

Black said. “This came out of the ’93 fires, [when] people were

burned out of their homes. [Chairman] Ed Sauls put together an

organization to help those people. He said why don’t we keep this

thing going, expanded it. That’s how the Resource Center formed.”

Last year the Resource Center helped 870 people in Laguna,

including 689 low-income individuals and 181 homeless, Black said.

His statistics are based on last year’s city grant request.

“We’re the only organization in Laguna Beach that does what we

do,” Black said. “We do lots of things; one is operating the Resource

Center on Laguna Canyon Road.”

Center director Debi Cortez is the only paid employee. She

coordinates the efforts of 15 board members and about 30 volunteers.

“The center focuses on client counseling, interfacing with all the

support agencies within Orange County, collection and distribution of

food, clothing, appliances, toiletries, etc.,” Black explained.

The facility provides showers and laundry facilities, and stocks

donated food, clothes, backpacks, sleeping bags and the like.

Having multiple distribution methods is imperative, says Black.

The organization also delivers sack lunches five days a week to a

local park, along with clothing and other necessities.

“We also support the city-managed cold weather shelter program,”

Black said. “We have two large Christmas parties every year and

distribute food, clothing and gifts.”

Homelessness is becoming more rampant, explained Sande St. John,

one of the center’s founders. Some of the homeless are people who

grew up in Laguna.

“As far as homes and rentals, everything has gone sky high,” St.

John said. “Kids who grew up here can’t even afford to live here.”

St. John said they are always in need of donations, including

shoes, jackets, and clothing, and also need volunteers to help with

mentoring.

Helping children is paramount, St. John says.

“We get them medical aid and take them to the doctors,” St. John

said. “Many have never seen a doctor before. Thank God for the

community clinic.”

The Resource Center’s operating budget has been about $50,000 a

year. Black said they are significantly short of that, by at least

$10,000. They’re hoping the party will help to change those figures.

“We’ll give a sneak peek of this year’s ‘Lagunatics,’ a couple of

new numbers that have never been seen or heard, and we’ll do some

numbers from past shows,” No Square Theatre’s Rosen said.

A live, silent auction and raffle will include airline tickets,

boat rides, surfboards and more. Live music and dancing will follow.

“It’s a chance to get crazy; I’m encouraging people to wear their

coconut bras and aloha shirts,” Rosen said. “How can you not have fun

at a party with a pink umbrella in your drink?”

The Island Party starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 4 at the Woman’s

Club, 286 St. Ann’s Drive. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the

door. For tickets, to donate to the raffle or auction or to sponsor

the event, call (949) 494-7849 or go to https://www.nosquare.org.