Around Town: Laguna Food Pantry gets new chairman

Korey Jorgensen has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the Laguna Food Pantry, succeeding Andy Siegenfeld, who will continue as a board member and a volunteer at the pantry.

The food pantry provides free supplemental groceries to low-income households.

A board member since 2009, Jorgensen will serve as the nonprofit’s spokesman and lead monthly board meetings. He has lived and worked in Laguna Beach since 1972. He retired late last year as a family physician at the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, where he remains active as a donor and advisor.

The pantry, at 20652 Laguna Canyon Road, just north of the dog park, is open from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call (949) 497-7121 or visit https://www.lagunafoodpantry.org.

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Resident brings education to Africa

Laguna Beach resident Jake Wheeler has been named associate director of the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania, a nonprofit organization that works to build and operate secondary schools for families of the east African country who unable to afford education.

Wheeler will work with local leaders and community members at the Orkeeswa School, a secondary school located in a Maasai village.

In 2008, Wheeler visited the Orkeeswa School with a group of Laguna Beach residents and has since been a supporter.

He graduated with a master’s degree in global human development from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in May. He received his bachelor of arts from Emory University in 2008. He graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 2004, having served as class president and been recognized as student athlete of the year.

“Jake is a dynamic leader who will be key to taking IEFT to the next level,” said the group’s executive director, Peter Luis, in a statement. “Jake’s passion for the students and families in our community is one of the reasons we are most excited to have him with us.”