Taft is notorious for having a variety of different clubs: cultural clubs, art clubs, unions, and so much more. One of the more unique ones is Taft’s Animal League, which is perfect for the animal lovers at our school and those who want to give back to their community.
Animal League dedicates itself to donating to shelters year-round and creating things for animals in need. Meetings are held at both campuses, giving students of all grades an opportunity to join.
“We are a service-learning opportunity club, which means our focus is on getting our club members learning opportunities to how to better help their communities,” said Chemistry teacher and VC sponsor, Antonio Castillo.
“They do that by creating partnerships with different animal shelters in the local area, they do that by creating DIYcrafts, activities, running donation fairs, and in turn, what our club members get is an educational opportunity,” he continued.
As the sponsor, he’s very involved in the activities and events hosted by the club. They pride themselves on sustainability with their crafts by using donated or upcycled materials. All of their school-wide donations go directly to shelters, as stated by him.
The three shelters they work with are Chicago Canine Rescue, Chicago Pet Rescue, and Wright-Way Rescue. They’re all non-profit and on each site, there’s information about their mission and the work they do, along with multiple volunteer opportunities.
“The club offers volunteer opportunities at the shelters,” said Taft junior Gaby Janus, a former member of the club. With the money they make, they try to give opportunities to the members such as trips to shelters and guest speakers. They also conduct a Winter Donation Drive, which is one of the more successful ones on campus.
“Every year we have a Winter Donation Drive where students can donate animal food, toys, beds, and treats to get extra credit and enter into a raffle to win a gigantic stuffed animal. The more you donate, the more your name is entered into the raffle,” said Taft junior Samantha Trujillo.
The drive offers opportunities for the whole school to help, even if giving a couple cans of food is all they’re able to do. It also gives students something to look forward to, should they enter the raffle. It’s successful and is perfect for anyone willing to participate.
This school year, a fundraiser will be held in November. It’ll be from 7 am to 7:40 on November 6, 13, and 20. They’ll have Krispy Kreme sales to raise funds for educational opportunities such as guest speakers and educational trips.
Overall, this year brought back 52 students and has a total of 96, making this one of the biggest and influential clubs at Taft. Along with their successful drives and fundraisers, it has a shared goal that many relate to and participate in.
