Community Corner

Muslim, Mormon Teens Team Up for Charity

Local Orange County youths work together to get donations for South County Outreach's Lake Forest food pantry.

A collaboration between Muslim and Mormon youths sent 5,300 pounds of donated food this month to the in Lake Forest.

Youths from the Orange County Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo, Islamic Center of Irvine and Islamic Educational Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa teamed up with Mormon teens from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stakes in Mission Viejo and Santa Margarita for a day of service.

Dave Daly, an LDS interfaith director, worked with Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, to organize the day of volunteer work during the holy month of Ramadan.

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Together, the teens spent the day at eight grocery stores in Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel asking shoppers to donate food to the community pantry.

“With the market’s instability and unemployment numbers high, it is no surprise that local families are asking for help,” said Nora Dopudja, director of operations at South County Outreach in Lake Forest.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That need for assistance, which grows during the summer months when children are not getting food through school programs, recently left the food pantry empty, according to SCO staff. Donations of money, food and time are what keep the nonprofit open and its pantry stocked, they said.

South County Outreach serves families in need from Irvine to San Clemente with a range of homeless-prevention services, from computer classes to transitional housing.  

For more information about the organization, visit South County Outreach's website.


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