Meghan Markle Has A Special High School Connection To Her Latest Volunteer Project

Meghan Markle has a sweet connection to a recent organization that she and Prince Harry spent time volunteering with on Tuesday. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent the day cooking and chatting with workers at Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles-based group that helps men and women refocus and rehabilitate their lives after being incarcerated or involved with gangs.

The charity, which has been in operation for more than three decades, provides services like legal assistance, support with addiction recovery, education and job opportunities and even tattoo removal.

On Wednesday, Homeboy Industries posted photos of the couples’ visit, during which they helped prepare meals for those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. They also spoke with fellow workers who were “thrilled to work alongside” the pair. 

Homeboy Industries was founded by Father Greg Boyle, with whom the couple have been speaking as they become more involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against police brutality.

Father Boyle has a special tie to Meghan, who was born and raised in Los Angeles. When Meghan was attending Immaculate Heart High School, the duchess and her mother, Doria Ragland, once joined Father Boyle for a special cooking seminar where they made tamales. 

Of the couple’s recent visit, Father Boyle said in a statement that the two “were just ‘Harry and Meghan’ to the homies.” 

“They rolled up their sleeves and deeply engaged with our workers in the Bakery and Café,” he added. “It was immediate kinship and heartening in its mutuality.” 

More big news broke for the couple on Wednesday, as the Los Angeles Times reported that the couple signed with the Harry Walker Agency, a speaking agency that represents the Obamas, the Clintons, and Oprah, among others. 

The deal will likely come in handy when the Sussexes are able to launch their new nonprofit, Archewell.

In a statement previously shared with HuffPost, the couple spoke about how they came up with the name for their organization. 

“Before SussexRoyal came the idea of ‘arche’ — the Greek word meaning ‘source of action,’” the two said in April. “We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name.”

They added, “Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon.”