House Director
Harriet Cole
Rules, heat, and the front door. Twenty years in Chicago youth work.
About
A winter-proof rec house
Warm lights, hard rules, open door. Free for ages 5–17 on the South Side.
Mission
Northstar House is an after-school rec house in Bronzeville. Kids come from school. They eat. They do the work. They run, paint, solder, and sit still when the room asks for quiet. The door stays open through Chicago winter.
The house does not bill families. Membership is $0. Dinner is $0. Camps and trips are $0. Staff never ask for a card number, a routing number, or a “hold” on a phone.
Local people run the day. The foundation paid for the walls and the first years of food and tutors. The neighborhood keeps the rules.
Founder money, local keys
Jimmy Donaldson — MrBeast — funded a free youth center in this city through his charity foundation. The names MrBeast and Beast Philanthropy belong to their owners. This website is independent and informational. It is not the foundation’s office and not a donation page.
Harriet Cole is House Director. Sean Okafor runs activities. Mina Patel keeps the family desk. Owen Grant takes volunteers. 1,950 kids. 22 programs a week. 36,000 sq ft.
Timeline, 2024–2026
- 2024Foundation pledge lands. South Side site search. Cottage Grove block chosen for transit and winter walk.
- 2025Rehab year. Heat, kitchen, gym floor, quiet rooms. Pre-open spend $4.32M. Staff hired from the city, not flown in for a ribbon.
- 2026Doors open. Roll hits 1,950. Ledger shows $12.05M given of $19.60M pledged. $7.55M still scheduled through 2028.
The desk
Activities
Sean Okafor
Week grid, gym keys, lab inventory. Posts the index every Monday.
Family Desk
Mina Patel
Enrollment, wait list, coat extras. First voice on the phone.
Volunteers
Owen Grant
Tutors, coaches, kitchen. Background checks before a badge.
