DUBOIS – Members of the Penn State DuBois Campus Activities Board (CAB) have helped to improve the lives of the guests at an area shelter. The student club recently donated around 500 books to Haven House, of DuBois. CAB members say they’ve collected various types of books including novels, children’s books, text books and encyclopedias by placing donation boxes at several locations on campus.
The donated books will be available to guests at Haven House, who stay in the shelter temporarily. Haven House manager, Kelli Williams said the shelter is available to people who have become homeless due to circumstances that were out of their control. She said many of her guests include victims of fire or natural disaster, and people who have lost their homes due to foreclosures caused by job loss. Williams said staff at Haven House work with these guests to help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible, so that they can move on to their own home once again. The donated books, Williams said, will help them achieve those goals. “The educational books might help people to learn new skills, which could lead to a new job,” she said.
Williams also explained that other books could provide a needed release for her guests, saying, “The novels give them a vacation from the troubles they’re going through in their real life.”
The Penn State DuBois students who collected the books said they hope to make a difference in the lives of the people who stay at Haven House. “We love the community and we want to see people in this community succeed,” said CAB member Michelle Haley.
