Don’t mind the move

As much as the move of Laguna Shanti, the city’s long-time HIV/AIDS

support group, to Laguna Hills makes financial and medical sense, it

still is a difficult bit of news to digest. Laguna Shanti is so

deeply intertwined with the character of this community -- its

activism, its outreach and its far-reaching support of neighbors --

that the idea of the group doing its much-needed and excellent

support work outside the city limits is certain to alarm, perhaps

even madden, some who have supported Laguna Shanti for years.

It is an understandable reaction to change. But once the surprise

fades, supporters should do their best not to miss a beat. The cause

and the work, after all, are the same. The 30% of Laguna Shanti’s

clients who are from Laguna Beach will still have access to the

support the group provides. The only difference is location.

So the fundraisers should continue, especially given the

increasingly limited funding options available from governmental and

charitable organizations. Volunteering by Laguna residents should not

drop, especially with new, additional work to do. The larger space

will undoubtedly demand more helpers. And at least some of Laguna

Shanti’s clients in town are expected to have difficulty getting to

the new Laguna Hills location, which creates a natural service that

needs to be provided.

We have little doubt that it will be. Since Laguna Shanti’s

inception in 1987, this community has consistently rallied around its

mission of support and comfort. That it is expanding that mission, we

are sure, will only increase that long-standing commitment.