Teacher Vaughan, students raise money for Los Angeles Mission

By Zoe Howard
Features Editor

English and creative writing teacher Shannon Vaughan recognizes how homelessness is a major problem and plans to do her part to help the crisis.

At the beginning of October, Vaughan proposed to her students the idea of raising money for the Los Angeles Mission, something she has personally done for the past 30 years as a way to provide meals for the homeless. Vaughan’s classes joined the cause and in only one month raised over $740. They also expanded the fundraiser to all of Costa to increase funds.

“The homeless are in dire straits,” Vaughan said. “[Homelessness] is a major crisis in the United States, but especially in California. People are being put in danger, people have to clean up after them because there are air-borne diseases and filth [that puts them in danger] and more than that, [the homeless] don’t have a home or people to take care of them.”

Vaughan and her classes distributed plastic containers across campus that had a paper with their message and explaining what they are doing. On Wednesday, they collected the containers with the hopes that each homeroom class raised $12, the equivalent to about six hot meals. According to the Los Angeles Mission, every $2.03 donated provides someone in need with a hot meal, safe shelter, guidance, and care.

“[Homeless people] are all over the streets,” Vaughan said. “It’s so sad, and no one is helping them, so I thought, we’re a small but mighty group, and hopefully [we] will make a difference, even the slightest, so at least we will be able to feed quite a few homeless people.”

Vaughan’s students did not stop there. They began to bring in more items for the homeless, such as adult diapers, and also old clothes that they no longer wanted. They donated these items to emergency rooms at five different hospitals and also local women and children’s centers.

“It’s contagious; when one kid wants to [contribute, the others] become passionate about it, and they all get together,” Vaughan said.

Sophomore Victoria Bui started a project for the fundraiser as part of her community service club, the Leadership Experience and Opportunity club (LEO). In this project, Bui and LEO members help Vaughan bring clothes and donations to Skid Row.

“When I got involved with Ms.Vaughan, it was all a coincidence, she had to get me something from her office, which was where all her clothes for the homeless were,” Bui said. “I told her that my club was holding an event to help feed the homeless on skid row [and] she needed some help with the clothes for the homeless.”

Bui and her community service club went to Skid Row on October 19th to bring sandwiches, chips, and water to the homeless there. They also brought clothes and hygiene kits that they made.

“Feeding the homeless was a very eye-opening experience [and] made me realize how prevalent the problem of homelessness was,” Bui said. “It not only made me, but my fellow LEO club members feel very fortunate and grateful for all the things that we have.”