The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a “secret” visit to an LA charity this week. Apparently, they spent Tuesday afternoon at Homeboy Industries, which gives training and employment to ex-gang members and people who have been in prison. The charity is run by Father Greg Boyle, someone Meghan has known for decades because he also worked with her high school, Immaculate Heart. Harry and Meghan volunteered with Homeboy Industries’ Feed Hope program and helped prepare meals. From Page Six:

Mariana Enriquez, manager of the Homegirl Café, told us exclusively, “It was remarkable to share our Feed Hope program with Harry and Meghan. They are both down to earth and kind. The staff was honored they took the time to see us, hear us and walk on our journey … We will never forget it.”

Father Greg added, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were just ‘Harry and Meghan’ to the homies. They rolled up their sleeves and deeply engaged with our workers in the Bakery and Café. It was immediate kinship, and heartening in its mutuality.”

Homeboy Industries offers counseling, education, legal assistance, addiction recovery support, tattoo removal, job training and direct opportunities for employment through 10 social enterprises — including the Homeboy Bakery and Homegirl Café. The org’s #FeedHOPE program employs Homeboy participants to provide meals to food-insecure seniors and youth across LA in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic. A source added, “The Duchess and Duke connect deeply to Homeboy’s mission … To them, Homeboy is a perfect example of how empathy, kindness, and compassion can change the world.”

Thomas Vozzo, CEO of Homeboy Industries, told Page Six, “With their visit, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex saw the dignity and power that comes from having a job. At Homeboy … people can continue to heal and they work, learning skills and changing their lives, changing their families and changing communities.”

[From Page Six]

I’m including the tweet with the photos below. This was clearly a good volunteering mission and I hope Homeboy Industries gets lots of donations and additional volunteers because of this. It’s also great to see Meghan and Harry in full PPE – face masks, gloves and hairnets. As for the way that apron is falling on Meghan’s body… I mean, I’ve thought that she’s been giving off pregnancy vibes for what? Two months now? She looks somewhat bumpy here, but I’m not calling it yet.

THANK YOU to Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for their visit yesterday! Our Bakery & Café teams were thrilled to have them work alongside us to #FeedHOPE to Los Angeles | ?Credit: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Help provide hope today: https://t.co/IlNLw33nL9 pic.twitter.com/HDFusnhmkk

— Homeboy Industries (@HomeboyInd) June 24, 2020

Meanwhile, there was another piece of Meghan and Harry news yesterday: they’re signing on to Harry Walker Agency as their representatives for paid speaking engagements. According to People, “The couple will reportedly engage in keynote speeches with trade associations, corporations and community forums. They will also continue to focus on social issues such as racial injustice, gender equality, mental health and environmental concerns.” The same agency represents a roster of top-tier clients like Oprah, Jane Goodall, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, the Obamas, Gloria Steinem and Lin-Manuel Miranda. I’m sure there are a lot of people with their knives out about how undignified or gauche or whatever, and how H&M could make “millions” or something. That’s not really the way any of this works. They’ll probably only end up making a handful of speeches a year and it will just be a bit of money coming in.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, SussexRoyal IG.