By Emily von Buttlar
Features Editor
Junior Lauren Jester lends a helping hand to the Sisters of Sojourn and the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC) through her club, the Teen Unification Club.
The Sisters of Sojourn is an organization within the OPCC that raises money and supplies for Sojourn’s Adam’s House, which is a second-stage shelter for women and children who have been abused. Jester founded the Teen Unification Club at the beginning of her freshman year. During the first year, Jester and the 20 other club members hosted a clothing drive where they collected around 200 dresses for the Sisters of Sojourn.
“When I got into high school, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do something on a bigger level and with more people being involved,” Jester said. “That’s why in freshman year, we focused on a clothing drive.”
Jester initially learned about the Sisters of Sojourn in fourth grade when she read “The Hundred Dresses” by Eleanor Estes that talked about the empowerment people can feel through clothing.
“I wanted to do something related to [“The Hundred Dresses”] because it was so empowering to me,“ Jester said. “When I was little, I had all these beautiful dresses, and I just had so much fun wearing them.”
Prior to the book drive, during Jester’s sophomore year, she hosted a toiletry drive. According to Jester, they collected around 150 kits that included shampoo, conditioner, socks and other toiletry items. The first donation she made to the Sisters of Sojourn was in fifth grade when she gathered over 300 dresses. Jester’s current book drive started on Feb. 1 and continued until March 19.
“[Abuse] is a very serious topic,” Jester said. “When I was learning about why these women needed to go to these shelters, it was really impactful in my life. I took a moment and realized how grateful I was for everything that I have. I wanted to use the platform I have to give back to other people.”
According to Jester, she chose to host a book drive because COVID-19 has made learning more difficult for children, so she wanted to focus the resources they had to help children. The Sisters of Sojourn has a children’s empowerment program, so the books will help further the education of the kids in the program, according to Jester.
“Anybody can donate directly to the OPCC or the Sisters of Sojourn,” Jester said. “The Sisters of Sojourn [is] a little less widely known, because they are trying to protect their women and children from [the] possibility of being discovered when they should really just be safe.”
Nadine Hanely, a representative at the Sisters of Sojourn who is in charge of the donation center, has been in contact with Jester to discuss what her club can do and which items the shelter currently needs the most. According to Jester, Hanley is very excited that Jester and the club members are helping out the Sisters of Sojourn.
“With COVID, it’s been a little harder, [so] now we are focusing on this book drive,” Jester said.
According to Jester, she chose to focus more on the Sisters of Sojourn because she felt they were more in need compared to the OPCC. The Teen Unification Cub aimed to raise as many books as it could in a three-week period; for the children at the Sisters of Sojourn.
“I am really appreciative to everybody who has taken an interest in my club, hence offering their help,” Jester said. “Everybody has been so great.”
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