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Students helping customers 'check-out' at "The Oasis" Jade Aubuchon/KHTS News

Santa Clarita High School Students Open Pop-Up Shop To Help The Homeless

Students from various Santa Clarita high schools created a “pop-up shop” in Valencia Saturday in an effort to help people in need.


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Santa Clarita high school students organized their ‘store’, branded as “The Oasis”, much like a regular department store, with separate sections for clothing, perishable foods and toiletries.

Each ‘customer’ is greeted at the door by a student, who then acts as a personal guide through the store, offering assistance and guidance in collecting items and packing them up.

“We wanted to provide a personalized experience,” said organizer Joel Yoon, a senior at West Ranch High School.

The event was organized largely by word of mouth, with Yoon and 35 other high school students from several Santa Clarita schools gathering over 1,600 pieces of donated clothing.

The students were inspired by changes to the Santa Clarita municipal code passed in June, which prevent people from from camping, setting up shelters or sleeping in public areas. Yoon found this change to be unfair.

“They’re trying to keep the things that aren’t awesome off the streets of ‘Awesometown’,” said Yoon. “But there aren’t enough resources here to support them, the homeless shelter had the money they were expecting taken from them just this week.”

Bridge to Home, the nonprofit organization that manages the homeless shelter in Santa Clarita, was shocked to receive news that the grant it was counting on to try an extend the Winter Shelter was canceled earlier this month.

However, city and county officials were able to help secure enough funding to support a year-round shelter at Bridge to Home for 2019 on Friday, according to officials.

See Related: Bridge To Home Receives $200K Grant From Supervisor Kathryn Barger

Yoon indicated that he and the other students would be interested in making “The Oasis” a yearly event.

“It’s really important that we help all these people as a community, especially when there are no official resources.” said Yoon.

The pop-up store is planned to be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 29, at Global Prep Academy at 23110 Cinema Drive, No. 105.

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Santa Clarita High School Students Open Pop-Up Shop To Help The Homeless

7 comments

  1. While a congratulate the students, I cannot help but wonder. How many homeless are in the rich side of Santa Clarita? The homeless are in the riverbeds here in Canyon Country. They are on park benches everywhere but Valencia.

    I collect clothes and food and keep them in my car and when I see a homeless person I share.

  2. Most dont want to get off the streets it’s the easy life, no bills, no responsibility do whatever you want all day and get free food stamps free healthcare. Why work ?

  3. Most bums like the way they live its the easy life. No bills no responsibilities do whatever all day long and still get free food stamps and health care . Why work if you have it great already ? It’s the working class stressed out ,struggling and ready to kill themselves not the bums.

    • Yes indeed. The homeless like the lifestyle. I once heard two “homeless” bragging about what lies to put on their signs to bring the most handouts. Yet if you offer them a ride to the shelter they say no. The people that deserve this kind of help do not receive it, yet the ones that take advantage of the system sniff them out, sell the stuff and buy more drugs. Then they bring the drugs to CC and sleep on bus benches and ask us to buy them breakfast. Poor ignorant people who just listen to rich politicians and their rich ignorant politically driven parents.

  4. While I commend Mr. Yoon for his charity and public service, I do not agree with his slamming of the municipal code from his ivory tower in Stevenson Ranch. Surely the municipal code would not prevent him from making his own home available for a homeless encampment. I wonder how many tents his own backyard could accommodate? Or would that detract from the “awesomeness” of his own backyard too much for his own liking? Let everyone else deal with it in their neighborhoods, right kid?

  5. Geez, you people are negative. Try talking to a homeless person. Do you know how many more there will be because of the recent fires? They are not called bums. Some, unlike you judge- mental people, lost everything they had in the economic disaster of 2008. Some had partners leave them high & dry. Why not work a day in a soup kitchen and get their stories. It’ll break your heart, if you can find it. I give these teens credit… They are trying to solve a very real problem. What are you all doing to help?

    • I have spoken with many homeless in Beverly Hills, Downtown LA and San Fernando Valley. I bet you would find it hard to believe that some of these people have more money in their bank account than you or at least me. They collect welfare deposit it into the bank and then go beg for handouts. They lie on their signage and take advantage of ignorant people like you who want to believe they just did a good deed for the day. Yes, a very small amount do deserve some help and would benefit from it but they are few and far between. The people who know where to find the help are unfortunately the ones that take advantage of the system. But thanks for ignorantly trying! They stay on the streets by choice because they don’t like rules and hope people continue to remain oblivious so they will still get free coffee and lunch.

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About Jade Aubuchon

A Santa Clarita native, Jade has spent her whole life involved in community outreach. After graduating from Learning Post High in 2015, she went on to College of the Canyons to pursue a double major in English and Marketing. Jade spent several years as a ballroom dance performer for a local studio and has performed at public and private events throughout Santa Clarita. As KHTS Co-News Director Jade oversees the KHTS news team, which covers all the latest news impacting Santa Clarita. Along with covering and writing her own news stories, Jade can be heard broadcasting the daily local news every weekday morning and afternoon drive-time twice an hour on KHTS 98.1FM and AM-1220. Jade is also instrumental in reporting on-the-scene local emergencies, covering them on-air and via Facebook Live and YouTube. Another dimension to Jade’s on-air skills and writing are her regular political and celebrity interviews, including her bi-monthly interview with our Congressman Mike Garcia and many other local politicians and community leaders.