Man Reunites 30 Years Later With Shelter Staff Who Helped Set Him on Right Path

Former resident Kevin Doar exits the Waymakers children's shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 6, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Thirty years after his unexpected stay at a local youth short-term shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., a now grown and successful man returned March 6 to thank those who he said helped him rebuild his life.

Kevin Doar, at 16, was admitted to the Waymakers’ youth shelter for two months in the early 1990s after escaping an abusive household, he said.

“Being able to experience the house, especially now at my age, brings back a lot of good memories,” Doar told The Epoch Times. “I couldn’t imagine where I would have ended up if I hadn’t been placed at [Waymakers].”

Kevin Doar at the Waymakers children's shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 6, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Among his favorite memories, he said, were shelter staff taking the youth on field trips to the beach and art museum, which Doar said helped develop his appreciation of art.

During his recent visit, he also reunited with Carol Carlson, who was a young staff member during his stay three decades ago. Now Carlson is the director of Waymakers’ shelter programs.

“I immediately recognized his face when I saw him again,” Carlson told The Epoch Times. “That was very special to me.”

Waymakers Housing Director Carol Carlson stands outside of the Waymakers children's shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 6, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

According to Doar, the shelter’s staff helped him relocate to live with the “other half” of his family in North Carolina following his stay. He ultimately attended college there before marrying his wife and starting a career as a technology consultant, which remains his current job at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The shelter was the first of four Waymakers opened in Orange County. Two others are in Tustin, and a third in Huntington Beach.

The back door area of the Waymakers children's shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 6, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The bedroom area of the Waymakers children's shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 6, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The nonprofit provides drug intervention programs, counseling for those who have been victims of crime or facing mental health issues, and educational training to the youth residents.

According to a recent report by the nonprofit, it has provided support since 1972 for nearly 20,000 youth crime victims as of 2021, in addition to sheltering nearly 1,300 youth and their family members.

Carol Carlson and Kevin Doar enjoy being reunited at the Waymakers children's shelter in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 6, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Their Laguna Beach shelter has served over 10,000 youth alone since its opening in 1979, according to CEO Ronnetta Johnson.

The nonprofit is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, having first begun as a “pilot project” at the University of California–Irvine’s Social Ecology department, Johnson said.