Amid the lively chatter of the New Pit, Room 1349 offers a warm, welcoming, atmosphere, with shaving cream, deodorant, and socks scattered across tables. Every other Wednesday at 9 a.m., Haven members gather to tackle tasks like assembling care packages filled with these essentials along with handmade cards for Glenview’s unhoused community. The room buzzes with the energy of collaboration, embodying the club’s commitment to making a difference.
Founded during the 2023-2024 school year by senior Co-Presidents Deana Chin, Sadie Oh, and Yerin Jeon, Haven’s mission is to find housing solutions for the homeless population through support and advocacy, Jeon explained. Partnering with nonprofit organizations, the club’s annual goal is helping at least one individual transition into permanent housing, Jeon said.
Haven is planning to host a volunteer event in Chicago at the soup kitchen, A Just Harvest, in January, Oh explained. Chin, Oh, and Jeon all share a personal connection to the cause.
“[Oh, Chin, and I] all have wanted to create this club together because [we] feel we have a sense of responsibility [to care for the unhoused population],” Jeon said.
This shared sense of responsibility stems from personal experiences and encounters with the unhoused that left a lasting impact, Chin explained. For Chin, the inspiration to start Haven came after seeing the realities of the homelessness firsthand.
“I remember driving in Chicago one day, and [seeing many] tents set up for people,” Chin said. “I wanted to provide help, so I talked with my Co-Presidents, and we decided to create [Haven].”
Haven has previously sold root beer floats and started a GoFundMe in order to raise money for Glenview’s homeless population, Oh said. Despite the club’s impact, Jeon explained Haven faces challenges, with one of the biggest being a lack of funding. Members often have to cover the costs of supplies out of their own pockets, limiting their ability to expand their agenda, Jeon added.
“The Haven board [members] have to use their own money to get the [supplies] needed for care kits,” Jeon said. “[Haven’s biggest challenge is] that we have to use our own pocket money.”
Looking ahead, the club is excited to expand outside of the school and is working on a hygiene drive for local places around Glenview, Oh said.
“We [are looking to] paint boxes and then at these [specific] locations, like libraries or like park centers, we are going to put the boxes there [for communal use].”
Chin adds that through Haven, they are able to bring more awareness and work to help find ways to solve these issues through fundraising.
“Raising awareness and providing funding is very important because there are a lot of people out there that really need help, and I think that our club is just working on making this issue more prominent and well known,” Chin said.
