While the super moon rose over not-so-distant Lake Michigan, people in Northfield illuminated candles at an annual sunset candlelight vigil on Sunday. The event, in its seventh year, was hosted by the Student Alliance for Homeless Youth.
Attendees on the breezy evening included teenagers, parents and community members from municipalities including Northbrook, Park Ridge, Glencoe, Oak Park, Winnetka, Lake Forest and Wilmette.
In a loose circle, they stood or sat on low benches at Clarkson Park to launch awareness of homelessness and kick off National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, held Nov. 12-20. One Chicago student shared her story of homelessness at the event.
Ross Mabie, 17, a New Trier Township High School senior of Winnetka and SAHY co-president, said he knows students at New Trier who are homeless.
“They don’t want to talk about it out of embarrassment,” Mabie said. “There’s definitely a stigma.
“Homelessness can be anything from living in an alley to just not having a stable home, bouncing around from house to house, living in a grandparent’s house one weekend, living in their uncle’s house another weekend,” Mabie said. “They just don’t have a place to call home.”
“You just wish that it wasn’t the circumstance and it’s heartbreaking to see,” said Michael Mogentale, 18, of Winnetka, also a Trevians senior and SAHY co-president.
“It’s a little bit less visible,” said Christina Codo of Winnetka, vigil parent co-chair, who talked about the local snapshot of homeless youth.
“Just based on food pantry usage information, probably 80 families in New Trier Township are at risk,” Codo said.
SAHY members represent New Trier Township High School, Maine South High School of Park Ridge, North Shore Country Day School of Winnetka, Loyola Academy of Wilmette and Lake Forest Academy of Lake Forest.
“I think it is wonderful that kids in this community are really trying to understand the needs of homeless youth. Not everyone is as fortunate to live the way that they do,” said vigil attendee Rita Kahn of Oak Park, development coordinator for Chicago HOPES for Kids, which provides academic support to children living in homeless shelters.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
