Mestizo Arts and Activism: a result of U, community collaboration

Posted on December 5, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by RYAN McDONALD

In a coffeehouse located at 631 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City, a group of about 15 teenagers and young adults gathers twice a week to discuss issues that concern them, such as media misrepresentation and stereotypes. It is one link in a large chain of community projects that University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) at the University of Utah is involved in.

UNP (originally called West Side Initiative) was created in 2001. Bernie Machen, the president of the University of Utah at the time, was concerned that if a better effort wasn’t put into helping first-generation underrepresented youth graduate from high school and get into college, the U would not have the student body to be considered the flagship university in the state.

“Since west-side neighborhoods were so totally underrepresented at the U it was a clear geographically-defined place to start,” said Sarah Munro, who currently works as the associate director of UNP. “The charge was to set up collaborative partnerships between the university and west Salt Lake neighborhoods.”

Sarah Munro, associate director of University Neighborhood Partners.

Early in UNP’s existence, an assessment was conducted in seven west Salt Lake neighborhoods to determine what was needed in order for Machen’s concern to be eased. Munro said direct student recruitment was one way of accomplishing this, but that it was not the most effective.

“The vision for this was long-term engagement,” Munro said. “By being engaged in the community, that’s how you create access. You’re addressing barriers to access to higher education. Our charge was to look at those needs and priorities that came out of the neighborhoods and say, ‘What are the university resources that could be brought to this and then how do we bring them to work in a collaborative partnership with one or more organizations?’” Munro said.

By 2003, UNP had begun working with organizations, individuals and government to help west-side residents overcome challenges Munro referred to as “systemic barriers,” obstacles that take a long time to change. The staff of UNP does not participate directly in this work, but the organization serves as a bridge between the university and these entities to enable collaborative work.

“I think that people are more creative and more motivated when they work in teams and that’s what these partnership groups really are,” Munro said.

She referenced changes that have been made in the Salt Lake City School District to respond to the growing Latino and refugee populations, in part due to collaborative work. As an example, she indicated that in-home visits are made to parents who might not otherwise be able to attend a traditional parent-teacher conference.

Members of MAA meet twice a week at Mestizo Coffeehouse.

Munro’s philosophy of teamwork is evidenced by Mestizo Arts and Activism (MAA), which meets each Monday and Wednesday afternoon at the Mestizo Coffeehouse. MAA is a partnership between the U and Mestizo Institute for Culture and Arts (MICA).

Having finished a project working with youth on community issues about five years ago, Matt Bradley, an adjunct professor in the Honors College  at the U, wanted to do more. He got in contact with the directors of MICA to explain that he wanted to do a similar project. With MICA’s support, MAA began. The Honors College is the entity that represents the U in the partnership.

MICA’s mission is, “To strengthen and build community through arts, civic engagement, and dialogue. Provide space to those who engage community through their work, are from underrepresented communities, or use art as a tool for social change.”

In that spirit, MAA brings students, primarily from West High School, together to talk about issues related to remembering and preserving their native culture. An ultimate goal is to “create the ability and potential for civic participation,” Bradley said.

During a recent meeting, students discussed the portrayal of Latinos in the media.

“I saw an episode and I got pissed,” said one teen in reference to a time he watched “Family Guy.” “It was a whole attack on Mexicans.”

Sujey, a student at West High School, said she is involved in MAA because it gives her a chance to remember a big part of who she is.

“I feel like all of us are forgetting our roots,” she said. “A lot of people at school are just trying to fit in. Over here you can just come and talk about your culture. You remember who you are and you remember where you came from. It’s a place where you can just come and talk about and relate to things with everyone. You can’t be doing that at school.”

Kania is another student from West who is involved in MAA.

“Your name, your family came from somewhere,” she said. “It began somewhere. Everybody has a different story. The people before you lived a whole different life. Everything that you’re learning, you’re learning from the mistakes that they made. Keeping our culture alive is a way of honoring them for the lessons that they are giving us.”

Another student named Israel discussed a cultural challenge he feels many of those at MAA experience.

“I just feel that mixing two cultures is a lot more difficult than you might think,” Israel said. “I feel like we have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans because not even Mexicans accept us. You have to be more American than the Americans because not even the Americans accept us. We’re just kind of in the middle sitting there wondering which way to go. It’s a big culture clash that we can’t get into. I’m glad I am (involved in MAA) because I’m able to bring two cultures together.”

Although the students discuss serious topics, fun is a core element of the activities at MAA. From having a chance to reflect on Disney movies they watched as kids to playing group games, the students are able to form close friendships through the things they do there together.

José Hernandez, left, and Alonso Reyna, at Mestizo Coffeehouse, 631 W. North Temple.

“We build a sense of family here and that has been incredible,” said Alonso Reyna, a student at the U majoring in sociology who volunteers at MAA.

José Hernandez, another mentor, began his involvement at MAA in 2008, his senior year of high school. He is now majoring in gender studies at the U and plans to become a teacher.

“I didn’t go to college just for myself, but for my family and I wanted to help my community,” he said. “Mestizo allows me to apply what I learn at the U and even learn more than I would normally learn.”

The opportunities that MAA provides these students to explore their culture is only part of its story, however. Part of UNP’s mission is to provide faculty and students at the University of Utah the chance to conduct community-based research through the work its partners are doing.

Ashley Edgette is an undergraduate student who is helping to teach students at MAA how to be community researchers and organizers. She is majoring in political science and environmental studies and minoring in French. Upon graduation she plans to attend graduate school to study city and metropolitan planning and community development. She is currently researching how best to involve people in the creation and maintenance of a community garden.

“Working with these students makes it a more involved community project,” she said. “I think this is the only way to do this kind of research. I think our students (at MAA) get a perspective that you don’t get otherwise.”

U student Ashley Edgette is researching ways to involve people in the creation of community gardens.

Edgette feels this research model helps the students at MAA and the surrounding neighborhoods. She also said it helps the U become more involved in the city.

“It’s not only beneficial for the U to be connected to high school students and community members, but I think it’s also really beneficial to do these kinds of studies that are based on community knowledge and based on student participation, because it shifts the way the U interacts with communities,” she said. “It makes it a relationship where they’re (the U) invested and have responsibility and are expected to participate in the action with these communities. It’s been really beneficial for my education.”

Hernandez, the volunteer who wants to one day be a teacher, said the things happening at Mestizo Coffeehouse exemplify why UNP exists. Its goal is to build bridges between the U and the community and he feels that this is beneficial for MAA. Participants get to discuss community issues and learn about the university.

“It really represents what community and higher education can be together,” he said.

Filed under: Education, Hispanics & Latinos(as), Nonprofits | Leave a comment »

Utah Dream Center proves helping goes a long way

Posted on December 5, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by MELANIE HOLBROOK

Explore the Utah Dream Center

“Our dream is to see you live yours.” That is the slogan of the nonprofit organization Utah Dream Center, which was created to help community members fulfill their dreams.

Whether starting an arts program or a private elementary school, the organization located at 1624 S. 1000 West helps people get started so that more individuals can be assisted in the long run.

In 1998 husband and wife Alfred and Anna Murillo traveled to Los Angeles for a short-term mission project. Already involved with servicing their community, the Murillos brought with them 40 boys and girls to help out at one of the Los Angeles Dream Center’s programs.

Amazed by that center’s goals and projects, such as its after-school programs that provided activities for kids, the Murillos became inspired and knew Salt Lake City needed its own Dream Center.

In January 2000, Alfred and Anna launched the Utah Dream Center, modeled after the one in Los Angeles. With no help yet, the Murillos traveled throughout the U.S. in search of ideas and help from anyone interested.

With creativity and a U-Haul, the Murillos began to follow their dreams in June 2001. With the back of the U-Haul used as their stage they pursued after-school programs for any Glendale-area neighborhood kids who were interested in participating. Starting off simple, boys and girls could come hang out at the U-Haul after school for food and games.

With that, word spread fast. In February 2002 their U-Haul had become their very own facility that they still use today.

With their name already in the public, the Utah Dream Center was able to serve more than 400 kids in the first year.

“People had heard about what we were doing and wanted to get involved. People want to help out and contribute to making something of their community,” Alfred said in a telephone interview.

Over the years the Utah Dream Center has added at least 200 volunteers to their family. Alfred explained that there isn’t a payroll; the organization functions off the work of volunteers.

The Utah Dream Center stays running and thriving through its donors, volunteers and other sources that want to be a part of it. Out-of-state churches and businesses that have heard of the organization will send in donations.

Alfred explained that they’ve never purposely been in the news. The organization doesn’t believe in soliciting or asking people for contributions; people hear about the organization and want to donate.

“We work on helping kids around us, we’re not trying to make a big uproar,” he said.

“The other day I was getting my oil changed and during those 15 minutes we (the employee and I) started talking about what I do. He didn’t charge me for my oil change and handed me $250 because he wanted to help,” Alfred said.

He said it’s the goodness in people and their mentality that keeps their organization going.

Donations to the organization are given in various ways. Alfred said when he took his daughter to the dentist he again got to talking about his work. After listening, his dentist told him to bring kids in and he will work for free. Over the past eight years Alfred has taken in three kids while his dentist has put in thousands of dollars of service just so he can help others.

“Our dream is to see your fulfill your dream. We’re not asking you to make ours. When you help people it spreads a mentality, you want to help people when you’ve been helped,” he said.

Utah Dream Center has four programs in the Glendale area. Those programs are the Arts Academy, Open Door, Provisions for the Ministry and Mobile Medical. A director who came to the Murillos with his or her idea started each program. After discussion of their idea, the Murillos helped them get it started.

“The Open Door is held every Monday night. We’ll have chunks of different segments; half an hour for free time, time for reading and tutoring. We feed them a healthy dinner,” Susanna Metzger said in a telephone interview.

Metzger, the director of the Open Door after-school program, said on average 40 kids come every Monday.

The Arts Academy lets kids engage in music such as piano, drums and singing. The program also incorporates painting and drawing.

“My daughter has been going to Arts Academy for two years now. She’s 8 years old and is so bright — I thank the program,” Gabriela Hardy said.

“Hobbies such as piano or painting can make a child so much more well-rounded and determined to learn and grow at a young age. It shapes them,” she said.

The program Provisions for the Ministries delivers food and donates clothing to various churches every Wednesday.

Mobile Medical is stationed in the U-Haul the Murillos used back in 2001. This program was established to help community members who can’t afford certain medical help. Having it in the U-Haul makes it easier to serve more people.

Hardy isn’t one of the only fans of the organization. Richard Williams, a donor to the organization, said his son isn’t old enough for any of the programs but wants to get him in them when he’s ready.

“I found out about Utah Dream Center through my brother and donated soon after. An organization that helps people succeed in things they want to do, why wouldn’t I want to support something so great?” Williams said.

But community members aren’t the only people who have heard about the organization and want to help out.

Kyle Korver, a former player for the Utah Jazz, became involved with the organization. Korver would give Alfred 30 tickets to every Jazz game for any boys and girls who wanted to attend.

Real Salt Lake presented Alfred and his wife with the “Heroes Among Us” honor at a sold-out game. In the middle of the field, the Murillos were given jerseys with their names on them.

Alfred said one of the greatest honors was when “Good Things Utah” surprised him and his wife with a big metal key that would unlock the door to their new office. Utah Dream Center will be on “Extreme Home Makeover” where the organization will be given an entirely brand-new office; the episode is set to air in summer 2012.

The Utah Dream Center has expanded to help those suffering with problems such as gangs and drugs. There are now locations in Ogden, Provo and Kearns.

“You never know where helping people can take you,” Alfred said.

Filed under: Arts, Entertainment, Culture, Education, Health & Fitness | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

The Road Home helps give Christmas to everyone

Posted on December 5, 2011 by comm5775

by JOHANNA WISCHMANN

During the holiday season in Salt Lake City, many families and people find themselves with nowhere to turn. To help those in need of shelter and other necessities for livelihood, The Road Home helps accommodate those who may not have the resources to live a somewhat comfortable life.

“I think people are shocked to learn that both locally and nationally, families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population,” said Celeste Eggert, the director of development. Between 2007-2009 the number of families in homeless shelters jumped 124 percent, Eggert said.

“Our goal is to help these families return to housing as quickly as possible,” Eggert said.

There are a few things the Road Home, located at 210 S. Rio Grande St., does during the winter season to help those in the shelters.

On the first of October, the Road Home opens a Community Winter Shelter. The Winter Shelter serves as an overflow shelter so that the Road Home does not need to turn anybody away during the cold months of the year.

Every December, the Road Home creates a holiday store, called the Candy Cane Corner Store; usually it occupies an empty or vacant building.

This year the Candy Cane Corner Store is located at 502 West 300 South in Salt Lake City. It is open Mondays through Fridays from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

The store is made up of new or donated things gathered from the community, like rattles, shoes, hats and gloves.

The Candy Cane Corner Store provides a “wish list” every year supplying information for things they need to fill the store.

On the 2011 Wish List, there are different sections that need to be filled for newborns to fathers and mothers. In each section there are items that people in the Road Home need or want for the holidays, like sweaters, socks and shoes.

The Road Home also gives the men and women in the shelter gift bags. Every person gets something for the holidays, Eggert said.

The Road Home supplies a “needs list” that asks for donations for the gift bags. The men’s gift bag list this year has things like shampoo, razors and deodorant.

Donations for the gift bags are to be delivered by Dec. 14. Donations can be brought to the donation drop-off area located at the south of the Road Home building. For all the donations, the Road Home gives out tax receipts.

The week before Christmas, volunteers put the items into pillowcases and hand them out on Christmas Eve.

About 700 Christmas bags are handed out each year.

“All the parents in our programs get to come over to the store with their case managers and hand select clothing and toys for their children,” Eggert said. “Last year we served over 2,000 people, most of which were children.”

Children aren’t allowed to come in the store because the store is designed for parents to surprise their children on Christmas.

The case managers help the client pick a few items for their family members. Usually every child and adult gets a new outfit and children get a toy and a book.

Additionally, families get a household item like towels or an alarm clock, which will help them with everyday life.

Once all the presents are chosen, families get to wrap their gifts and store them until Christmas, when the families can give out the gifts.

“Last year, we helped more than 400 households move into a variety of housing settings,” Eggert said. During 2010, 88 percent of the people who were placed into housing did not have to return to the Road Home shelter after only about a year in the Housing Program.

The Housing Program has many different services and uses “traditional transitional units for the families with significant housing barriers,” Eggert said. There are also “many other options including Tenant Based Rental Assistance in partnership with three local Housing Authorities, Shelter Plus Care vouchers in partnership with two local housing authorities, Rapid Rehousing subsidies, and Permanent Supportive Housing,” Eggert said.

For chronically homeless men and women there are many community projects that provide permanent housing for them.

The Road Home provides financial information and fiscal year data for the public to access and has contact information for emergency purposes.

During the holidays, the Road Home has a radio broadcast that is held on Dec. 20, 21 and 22 at the Road Home Homeless Shelter. There are 10 local radio stations that will broadcast live from the shelter.

The radio broadcasts encourage radio listeners to donate financially or donate items. All the items donated will directly go to the homeless men, women and families with children.

During the radio broadcast, the Road Home is in need of volunteers to collect and sort through the donations. To volunteer during the radio broadcast contact Josh Stovall.

The Road Home is always in need for help from volunteers.

Currently, the Road Home is looking for volunteers to help at the Candy Cane Corner holiday store throughout the whole month of December. The store provides history and backgroundinformation about the store when you sign up to help to volunteer.

To volunteer for the Candy Cane Corner holiday store you can sign up online. For any more questions about donating or volunteering contact Becca Dupaix.

Filed under: Nonprofits, Organizations, Utah's Economy | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

A closer look at Salt Lake City’s Discovery Gateway children’s museum

Posted on December 5, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by BROOKE MANGUM

See the world through the eyes of a child at Discovery Gateway

Imagine a place where children’s minds can run free. Imagine a place where children can be whatever they want to be. Imagine a place where play is celebrated. What if this place encouraged and facilitated education and learning as well.

Does that sound too good to be true? This is what Discovery Gateway offers the community.

“Discovery Gateway, and organizations like it, are so important and different from other museums because they inspire children to learn via play,” said Steven Suite, chairman of Discovery Gateway board of directors.

Formally known as the Children’s Museum of Utah, the west-side nonprofit Discovery Gateway is located at 444 W. 100 South. The museum relocated to this 60,000-square-foot building in 2006 and is filled with exhibits of hands-on educational fun.

The museum was founded in 1978 by a group of parents and educators who believed children learned best by “doing.” The museum aims to be one of the most trusted and preferred family discovery centers and child educational resources in the Intermountain West.

The exhibits in Discovery Gateway are designed to address the multiple ways that children learn. All of the exhibits are interactive and inspire learning through creative play. The museum is divided into six zones, each having various hands-on learning experiences. Each section appeals to different age groups and children’s interests.

“What is so cool about our exhibits is that they not only teach children but they get them thinking about possible future fields,” said Lindsie Smith, Discovery Gateway development and marketing director in an email interview. “Each exhibit that we have focuses on a different career field. We have science exhibits, medical exhibits, activities in the theatre and arts, journalism, the possibilities are endless.”

Discovery Gateway is divided into six main zones: the Garden, Kids Eye View, Story Factory, Media Zone, the Studio and the Terrace.

The Garden is a 30-foot beehive that serves as the main entryway to the museum. This exhibit is designed to teach cause and effect. Children and adults work together to keep the hive functioning by performing various mechanical tasks. For example, one child is in charge of feeding plastic balls into a machine while another uses a hand crank to power a fan that moves the balls along the path to the next station. In another part of the hive a child uses foot pedals to activate a vacuum tube that propels the balls back to the beginning. When all the stations and children are working together and doing their job the hive comes alive.

Kids Eye View is dedicated to the museum’s youngest visitors. This zone is divided into multiple mini exhibits designed for tiny hands and budding motor skills. The exhibits within the Kids Eye View capture toddlers’ imaginations by exposing them to life on the farm, construction zones, a life-sized playhouse and every little one’s favorite, the rushing water exhibit.

The Story Factory offers visitors an opportunity to explore the many ways to tell a story. This is the journalism zone that is designed to inspire young future writers to discover the fun in writing and storytelling. The exhibit has something for all levels of writers, from those who are just beginning to craft sentences to those who are more experienced   with using words and modern multimedia.

Media Zone is sponsored in part by KSL 5 news. In this zone children are able to try out any and all media jobs and try their hands at TV and music production. Children can see what it is like to anchor the news, do a weather report and work as a camera operator. This section also has music mixing tables and recording devices where children can learn to make, record and produce their own music.

“My favorite is the news station,” said Gabriel Rosse, 10, a regular museum visitor. “It is so cool! I feel like I am doing the news for real.”

The Studio is a place for little scientists, artists and engineers to let their imaginations run wild. This is a hands-on creative space where children can learn about such things as physics, earth sciences, biology, mathematics and forms of art and architecture. The children are able to build their own mini structures and test their earthquake durability on the vibration tables. They also can conduct their own experiments with vacuum tubes.

The Terrace is home to one of the museum’s most beloved and recognizable exhibits, the Life Flight Helicopter, donated by Intermountain Healthcare. In this area children are able to learn about medical professions as well as search and rescue occupations. The once fully functional helicopter is now a kid friendly version that allows children to experience the thrill of flight using sounds and vibrations. The chopper lights up and makes all of the sounds of real flight such as the hum of the engine, the wind blowing on the tarmac and voices on the radio reciever.

“I love the helicopter,” said Max Smith, 6. Max lives in Salt Lake City and attends Reid School. “It is loud and makes me feel like I am flying fast.”

The museum also hosts traveling exhibits that are featured at Discovery Gateway for a limited time. The most recent exhibit was called PLAY. An exhibit called “Tinker Toys” is expected to début in 2012.

“The exhibits are fantastic,” said Anne Godfrey, a Salt Lake City mother who often brings her children to the museum. “I really feel good about taking my kids here. Not only do the kids love it, but I feel good knowing they are improving their education.”

The people at Discovery Gateway consider their crowning achievement to be the Junior Achievement City (JA City), located on the fourth floor. They are so excited about this exhibit because in their eyes it is the ultimate example of hands-on learning. JA City is in partnership with Junior Achievement of Utah and offers a hands-on learning environment for fifth-graders to gain “real-life” business experience. It is also a place for eighth-graders to learn how to manage their personal finances.

In JA City children run their own mock fully functional city. Using the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom they are able to bring this information to life. The children hold their own elections for mayor and hold different occupations and positions in the community.

Some youth are bankers, others grocery store workers. If it exists in real life it is highly likely that it is represented at JA City. The children involved in the program assume different positions in the mock community and learn valuable lessons about different occupations and the work that goes in to make society function.

“This exercise gives a huge opportunity for youth,” said board chairman Steve Suite. ”The kids have to work together or things don’t run smoothly. It is a lot like our Garden in the lower level but on a whole new scale where they make their own laws and essentially their utopia.”

Suite says Discovery Gateway is a magical place where kids can be kids, but they also learn and have the opportunity to think about their futures.

Filed under: Arts, Entertainment, Culture, Education, Media, Nonprofits, Organizations, Science & Technology | Leave a comment »

Utah Partners for Health offers community health services with its mobile clinics

Posted on December 5, 2011 by comm5775

Story and multimedia by SHELLY GUILLORY

Volunteer Laura Pexton recounts a story of a mother who arrived at a mobile health clinic with her two young sons, both of whom had fevers, runny noses and coughs. The 20-year-old mother told Pexton, a family nurse practitioner who volunteers with the mobile clinics one to two times per week, that she suffered from asthma and also felt sick. When Pexton placed her stethoscope on the woman’s chest, she noticed the mother moved almost no air in her lungs.

Pexton grabbed a peak flow meter — a device that tests lung capacity and is used to monitor asthma. The meter barely budged when Pexton tested the woman, indicating that her asthma had progressed to a dangerous level. After two nebulizer treatments at the clinic, the woman’s lungs sounded better. Pexton sent the mother home with prescriptions for medications to better control her asthma.

“She would have been someone who ended up in the emergency room and would have ended up hospitalized to get her asthma stable and under control,” Pexton said.  “She was able to come in, we offered her services and kept her out of the emergency room.”

The Utah Partners for Health, started in 2003 and based out of Magna, works within 17 clinics in Salt Lake County, all of which are “for-profit.” Healthcare professionals donate charity care to offer services for those who need treatment.

At these “for-profit” clinics, patients pay a small portion of the services rendered, which include acute care services, dental care, chronic illness management and mental health services. Patients can also receive preventative care, such as well child checks, breast exams and tobacco cessation counseling.

Since 2007, UPFH has also provided access to free health services with its mobile clinics, held three times a week. These mobile clinics are reserved for patients who cannot afford to pay the small fee at the “for-profit” clinics. The mobile clinics rotate locations throughout the Valley and serve residents in Salt Lake, including Glendale and other west-side neighborhoods, who do not have access to healthcare due to cultural or language barriers and lack of insurance or low income.

The mobile clinics operate out of rooms in community-based organizations, such as Horizonte Instruction and Training Center, Mountain View Elementary School, Hser Ner Moo Community Learning Center and Guadalupe Schools.

Executive Director Kurt Micka said mobile clinics save Utah’s healthcare system hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

“Most of the patients we see wouldn’t see a doctor at all, or [they would] go to an expensive emergency room when conditions have worsened,” he said. “Our cost last year was $18.23 per patient visit, compared to $1,200 for a typical non-critical emergency room visit.”

Micka said the mobile clinics offer most primary care services found in doctor’s offices and have recently started offering eye examinations. Free influenza vaccinations are also available one or two times a year. Patients who want to be seen for primary care services can either walk in or make an appointment. But because of demand, appointments must be made in advance for eye examinations.

At a recent clinic in the Horizonte Instruction and Training Center, 1234 S. Main St., five healthcare professionals treated 71 patients out of two rooms in the fourth-floor library. Unlike Pexton, who volunteers her time, Micka said many of the healthcare professionals who work at mobile clinics are paid.

“The model works best when providers are paid,” he said. “In that way, they consider it a job and always show up. They don’t get distracted with other options with their time.”

UPFH receives funding from grants and mobile clinic supporters, including United Way, American Express, Regence Foundation, UBS Bank and Walmart.

UPFH Associate Executive Director Amy Reed Trebella said many patients who visit the mobile clinics do not understand how the healthcare system in Utah works. She said if the mobile clinics didn’t exist, many people would resort to using expensive resources.

“They go to the emergency room, especially with [the refugee population],” she said. “We find that there are certain communities that come to rely on the ER, which we are trying to alleviate.”

Patients who are treated may be sent home with prescriptions, which can often cost hundreds of dollars without insurance. But Trebella said the clinic has several options for people who need prescription medications.

“We have the Partnership for Prescription Assistance  we can refer people to,” she said. “But for the most part our providers try to write generic prescriptions because they are more affordable. Walmart has a $4 program.  So do Smith’s and other pharmacies. That tends to work very well.”

Trebella also said that although mobile clinics are not set up to follow patients long-term, many people show up every few months and treat the mobile clinics as their primary care physicians.

In addition to her story about the young mother with asthma, Pexton recalls a man who  was diagnosed with diabetes at a clinic. Doctors gave him a glucose meter to check his blood sugar. He also received education about how to manage his diabetes. Two months later he showed up to the mobile clinic with a record book that contained daily blood pressure and blood sugar readings he had tracked since his diagnosis. His blood pressure and blood sugar were normal and he weighed 15 pounds less. He told Pexton he changed his diet and quit drinking soda to help manage his illness.

“It was wonderful to see someone take the information and make changes,” Pexton said. “In that case he was given a prescription for refills on his medication and told to follow-up in three months.”

Filed under: Health & Fitness, Nonprofits, Organizations | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Boys and Girls Clubs, dealing with stereotypes and challenges

Posted on December 1, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by COLLIN McLACHLAN

Take a look at the Lied Boys and Girls Club

“Is it this one teacher?”

“No, not that one. Can you find it? Does anybody know what the answer is?”

“Is it this one?”

“Yep, that’s it. Good job, José. It’s true that most kids are not drug users.”

If this sounds like the dialogue of a normal classroom, that’s because it is. The students in this classroom are trying to answer a question from the teacher by finding the answer card that has been hidden in the room.

This typical classroom situation was one that happened at the Lied Boys and Girls Club, which is located deep in the west side of Salt Lake City. People who have stereotypes about this area might like to learn that the kids who were part of this conversation were all Latino or African American. These kids face challenges in their life, just like everybody else. Some are not unusual, while others are totally unique to their generation and circumstance. That’s what the Boys and Girls Club tries to help with.

The Boys and Girls Club of America is a non profit organization that provides after-school activities for children and teens. Founded in 1860, the B&GC of America is devoted to being “a safe place to learn and grow – all while having fun. It is the place where great futures are started each and everyday.”

According to the club’s mission statement, the organization aims to provide its members with “a safe place to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals, life enhancing programs and character development experiences.”

The B&GC of America is a national organization with branches all over the country. There are two B&GC houses on the west side of Salt Lake, the Lied and the Capitol West. Like all B&GCs, the Lied Club, which is located at 460 S. Concord St. (1235 West), works with kids ages 6 – 18. The kids are divided into two age groups: the Juniors – who range from 6 – 12, and the Teens – who range from 12 – 18.

For the first hour or so kids get to “decompress” by just playing games and hanging out. Most clubs have pool tables, ping-pong tables, full gym and a food court. The club then tries to feed the students a meal every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with small snacks given out every day. Staff and volunteers will then do an activity with small groups of kids that is centered on learning.

A lot of kids attend the B&GC’s for many reasons. “I like that they help me with my homework and stuff,” said Casandra Darca, 14, in an interview. She has been attending the B&GCs since she was in third grade. “I get to have fun with my friends.”

Darca, like many members at the B&GC, comes from an underprivileged home. Her parents aren’t home during after-school hours so she has nowhere else to go. Her mom signed her up for the club because she used to be a member when she was little. “She liked it when she went here, so she wanted me to try it out,” Darca said.

Many Utah residents often have a stereotype about people on the west side of Salt Lake City. Lied Boys and Girls Club Director Tiffany Harris, 30, in an interview said that some people even start to form stereotypes about the kids she works with. “I’ve encountered a few people, thankfully not many, that will assume that all these kids are bad,” Harris said. “There’re not bad, they’re just kids.”

The kids themselves aren’t bad, but the situation they’re in might be. According to the Utah Refugee Coalition, the state is home to more than 25,000 refugees who come from all over the world.  A lot of refugee housing is located on the west side, so the B&GC works with a lot of refugee children.

Harris says that some of the challenges that these kids face really are unique. “I think there’s a stereotype that assumes that since they’re a refugee, that they’re all suffering from PTSD. That they’re all victims.” She states how sometimes a refugee’s current circumstance is what’s hard, not just their past. “Just coming to a new culture and trying to adapt and acculturate, that takes a lot of internal strength and courage, both from the parents and from the kids,” Harris said.

This does not mean, however, that what lays in these kids’ past aren’t causing problems for them. “We’ve had kids that have drawn pictures of men with AK-47s, and people who have their arms cut off by machetes, because they’ve seen that. They’ve had family members that have been killed,” Harris said.

Harris points out that many B&GC’s are intentionally placed in underprivileged neighborhoods to help improve those communities. She also says that they don’t discriminate against anybody coming. “If you can get here, you’re welcome to come,” Harris said.

It’s this underprivileged circumstance that a lot of B&GC kids are in that can cause more problems. “They’re expecting and wanting cell phones at a young age, because that’s what’s out there,” Harris said.

Kelly Gudall, 18, a volunteer at the Lied Boys and Girls Club, feels that having technology can also be a problem. “I feel like a challenge for them is just going outside,” Gudall said. “I mean they do, but I feel like it’s not as their first choice.”

Society’s increasing dependence on technology, and these kids’ inability to use or purchase technology, causes a very unique challenge for them that has not been seen in previous generations. “In school, they might be required to do some Internet research or type something up,” Harris said. “They don’t have a computer at home, and it can be difficult to find transportation to the library.” Harris points out that these kids have to wait for mom or dad to get home and take them before the library closes at 9 p.m. “That is a challenge that I never had to deal with when I was a child,” Harris said.

Despite helping its kids overcome all these challenges, the B&GC is making a substantial difference in children’s lives. A focus for the club is building relationships with the kids. Gudall says that this is one of her favorite parts of volunteering. She explains that like any classroom there are shy kids and outgoing kids. What she tries to do is get the shy kids to open up to her. “It feels like an accomplishment when a kid warms up to you,” Gudall said. “I like that.”

Harris told a story of a girl who had once shared a secret with her. Her secret was that someone had been hurting her. The club was able to take the appropriate action to help this girl. Harris realizes that it was the relationship between the staff and this girl that allowed her to open up and tell someone. “Right then I felt as though we’re doing what we need to,” Harris said.

The kids at the B&GC have a great way of changing people’s stereotypes, not only about them, but about the west side of Salt Lake itself. When Gudall first started volunteering, she said that she had an expectation of what it was going to be like. “I hate to say, but it was the stereotypical thing. But after the first time I came down here, it was so much fun.”

Gudall also says that her expectation of the west side of Salt Lake has changed. “They all seem really, really nice and really friendly. I’m not scared to come down here at all,” Gudall said.

Filed under: Arts, Entertainment, Culture, Education, Hispanics & Latinos(as), Immigrants & Refugees, Nonprofits, Organizations | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Utah Dream Center: providing much needed education

Posted on December 1, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by COLLIN McLACHLAN

Last time you were around Thanksgiving dinner and you had to go around the table and say what you’re thankful for, did you say “a chance to go to school and get an education”? If you did say that, did you really mean it?

For refugees who attend the Utah Dream Center’s Open Door reading classes, anyone can see that they mean it.

The Utah Dream Center is a nonprofit organization that operates on the west side of Salt Lake City, near an area of refugee housing. According to the Center’s website, its students are devoted to “transforming their neighborhood into a thriving community.” The Utah Dream Center “holistically provides physical, educational and Christian programming to strategic neighborhoods throughout the state of Utah.”

The Center has a number of different programs that are designed for the benefit of people who are living on the west side of Salt Lake. Some of these programs are: Open Door, an after-school reading tutor program; SierraAlta Bible College; Arts Academy; Urban Flow, a multicultural dance class; and a clothing outreach program. Most of the programs that are offered at the Dream Center are free and open to the public.

The Dream Center works with refugees who come from all over the world. Volunteers from the Dream Center will go recruiting by knocking on doors of the apartments near the Center and inviting residents to participate in the activities.

“One of my favorite things is when we do the reading part of the program,” said Susanna Metzger, 27, director of the Open Door after-school reading program, in an interview. “Just reading books with the kids, I can see them learning and improving. I think that’s really awesome.”

The Dream Center focuses on a faith in Christ to effect change in the community. Its website states, “Jesus Christ’s transforming power compels us to emphasize compassion, hope and restoration in each of our programs.” The Dream Center, however, deals with immigrants from all over the world, some from areas with state religions.

“We do not try to force a religion on them,” Metzger said. “Once parents realize that we’re here to just help with their education, or feed them dinner, then I think they start to be more at ease with us.”

Metzger directs the Open Door program. It meets every Monday for reading or math tutoring. Metzger says anyone is allowed to come and receive free tutoring. A Dream Center volunteer will either help a child with their math or reading homework, or will read a book with them.

“It’s loosely structured at the beginning,” Metzger said. “So when the kids show up we’ll play with them and hang out, build relationships.” After the building relationships portion, the students will split up into two groups according to their age. These groups will rotate between reading or homework and doing crafts.

Metzger has been a part of the Open Door program for about four years. Being the director of the program, she leads the 12 to 15 regular volunteers the Dream Center has in personally tutoring the 40 to 50 kids who come in every Monday, which she says is a challenge. She says that what she loves most is seeing a student learn something. “A concept will catch in their heads and it’s one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments,” Metzger said. “I get to experience that with them. I love it.”

Shalom Boutwell, 20, has been volunteering at the Dream Center for nearly a year. In an interview, she talked about why a lot of kids love the Center. “It’s easy for a student to become comfortable because all the other students are ones they go to school with,” Boutwell said. “They’re growing up together and learning together at the same time.”

Boutwell says that her favorite thing to see is when students are excited for the opportunity to learn. “They look forward to it every week, they run to our cars as we pull up, they’re sitting on their porches waiting for us to come knocking,” Boutwell said with a smile. “They love it, and I love building those relationships, to have the students remember your name every time you come, best feeling in the world.”

Marien Niwenshupi, 13, has been a student at the Dream Center for about two years.“My favorite thing is coming and talking to the ladies,” Niwenshupi said. “They really help a lot with your homework. That’s what I really like.”

Volunteers for the Open Door program found Niwenshupi by knocking on her door. She is from Zambia, and is very grateful for the opportunity she now has to attend school.

Niwenshupi said that in Zambia, “it’s really hard because your parents have to pay money, and in Africa, that is hard because they don’t have jobs. Sometimes it’s hard for parents to pay for their students.” If parents, like hers, can’t afford to send their kids to school, they are never able to go.

“But here, it’s really nice. They pay for your school,” Niwenshupi said, with optimism in her eyes. “I wish I was there right now, because I would say ‘Yeah, I’m going to school!’”

Niwenshupi said the Center offers a lot of fun activities. “It’s a good place to be on Mondays,” she said.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Filed under: Education, Immigrants & Refugees, Nonprofits, Religion | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Salt Lake City Head Start provides comprehensive educational experience for young children

Posted on December 1, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by TOM BETAR

Explore the Head Start kitchen

The average Head Start  family in Salt Lake City, regardless of the number of members, has an annual income of about $13,947. Some of the children of these families require $5,000 in dental work alone. These alarming numbers come from Kristyn Hancock, the community partnerships manager for Head Start who has been with the organization for more than a year.

The good news is that help is available, and from classrooms to kitchens the staff of Head Start work to educate and support these families so they can be successful now and in the future.

Head Start is a nonprofit organization with 83 classrooms and seven facilities throughout the Salt Lake City Valley that help these needy families overcome financial, educational and health-related obstacles.

The overall mission of the organization, according to its website, is to provide health, education and self-sufficiency to young children and families facing adversity. This entails working with children as early as possible to prepare them for future success in school. About 2,400 children in Salt Lake City, the majority of them ranging from 3 to 5 years old, receive assistance in education and healthcare from the Head Start program. Some of the children are helped from birth until age 2 as well.

Hancock said in a telephone interview that she quit her job doing sales and then was later approached about a position at Head Start. She said even though she may have made more money in sales or other lines of work, she is extremely happy with her decision to work for Head Start.

“I am so fortunate and so thankful to be here,” she said. “I feel like I’m able to give back every single day. Before I never felt like I was able to make a difference. I guess I traded in the big paycheck for a big heart.”

The community partnership aspect of Head Start is built around organizing fundraising and community events that spread the word about the Head Start program. Social media and grant writing fall under this umbrella as well, and Hancock works with many community volunteers to make programs successful.

“Our goal is to be out in the community informing people what Head Start is,” she said. “We are like ambassadors for the program.”

Hancock said every year assessments are done to gauge which areas are in most need of Head Start services, and the west side of Salt Lake City is the frontrunner every year. Although many people may have misconceptions that west-side residents are just sitting around waiting for handouts, Hancock said that is simply not the case for the residents she encounters.

“They are an amazing group of people to work with,” she said. “Many of them are working two or three jobs and they work so hard. They are so resilient. I love working with them.”

In terms of assistance to the children, or “kiddos” as Hancock calls them, the services that Head Start provides in regards to education, healthcare and self-sufficiency all go hand-in-hand.

“For most of our kiddos we are their only opportunity to begin the lifelong education experience,” she said. “I don’t know of any other preschool program that does what we do.”

She said parents play a large role in the development and success of the children, so Head Start tries to involve the parents as much as possible.

“Our goal is to get every child ready for kindergarten and on the same level playing field as their affluent peers,” she said. “We believe parents are a primary asset and we want them to be involved in their child’s education, not just when they (children) are 5 years old but when they are 15. The parents want their kids to succeed and break the cycles of poverty.”

Hancock said in order to properly educate and prepare these children, the first step is to make sure they are healthy and have proper nutrition. This is where people like Brian Ralph come in.

Ralph is the food services director for Head Start and has been in the food business for more than 30 years. He came to Utah to work in the 2002 Winter Olympics and was a food service manager in the Olympic village. He said he fell in love with Utah and now has a job with Head Start. He previously did food service work in the athletic departments of colleges such as Louisiana State University and the University of Colorado.

“There’s really no difference between feeding football players or little kids,” he said. “It’s really the quantity because you still need the healthy food.”

Ralph works in a kitchen located at 2180 S. 300 West that provides Head Start children with diverse, healthy and balanced meals. Food is prepared at the kitchen and then delivered to the classroom sites across town so that children can enjoy nutritional meals to supplement their early education.

“Pretty much the kids will get everything that an adult would eat minus the sugars and the salts,” Ralph said. “The kids learn to trust that the food they are getting is good, so our kids actually do eat our vegetables.”

Ralph said the kitchen uses whole-wheat products and does not serve canned vegetables or deep-fried food. He said the food that is served is restaurant quality and not only nutritional but also ethnically diverse. Meals include vegetarian dishes, jambalaya, beef stir-fry, chicken taco salads, lentil soup, sweet potatoes, fresh grilled tuna casseroles, spinach soufflés and Atlantic salmon — just to name a few.

“We do not believe in buying anything at discounted prices,” he said. “We bring in the best quality we can possibly bring in.”

Ralph said Head Start has a program at the University of Utah where the link between proper nutrition and a better education is visible.

“They (children) are better behaved because they’re not hungry. They are more attentive when it’s time to learn, and they sleep better because their stomachs aren’t hungry,” he said.

In order to qualify for Head Start, a family must be at 100 percent poverty level, which means the income of the household falls below a level set by the government. Hancock, the community partnerships manager, said there are about 1,000 kids on the waiting list for Head Start.

“We serve the neediest of the needy,” she said. “We always have a waiting list.”

Income is not the only criterion. For example, if the father of a family unit is incarcerated, Hancock said that family might be prioritized over another family.

Hancock said in order to measure and quantify success of the Head Start programs a tracking system is now in place for Salt Lake City children. This allows their academic progress to be recorded and analyzed as they move on from Head Start and continue schooling. Because Head Start is a nonprofit, the organization relies heavily on government grants and funding. Consequently, it is closely monitored by the federal government. Data such as test scores can be tracked to reveal the effectiveness of the Head Start programs and help to maintain the high standards.

Patty Mazzoni, Head Start education manager, has been with the organization since 1992. She started out as a teacher and has held her current position for five years. She said the educational aspect of Head Start is codependent on the fulfillment of the other needs for the children.

“We provide an all-around comprehensive education for our children and families,” she said in a telephone interview. “We not only meet the educational needs of a child we also meet the health and nutritional needs.”

Mazzoni said Head Start relies heavily on volunteers and in-kind contributions. For example, medical volunteers such as doctors or dentists provide free health screenings for children in the classrooms.

“Volunteers are a huge part of what we do,” she said. “We encourage parents to volunteer in classrooms.”

She said few other organizations provide the same benefits as Head Start.

“We are probably the only opportunity to place children in a program that will give them a head start in education,” she said.

Mazzoni said there may be some misconceptions out there about exactly what Head Start is and what it is for.

“People think that we are just a daycare to drop kids off,” she said. “We are not at all. We are very comprehensive and we have academic outcomes that we have to show data for.”

Mazzoni said there is something else unique about Head Start that makes her proud to be a part of the organization.

“We serve all children with disabilities, so we are a full-inclusion program,” she said. “We accept any child within our program.”

Being a Head Start employee provides opportunities to make measurable changes in the lives of young children and their families. Food services director Ralph said his job comes with many satisfying rewards, and that results from his work can clearly be seen.

“I enjoy coming to work every day,” he said. “We see the results. We see the change in the children’s weight, we see the change in their attitude, and we see the change in their eating habits. It’s hard to change a child’s eating habits when they’re older.”

Ralph recounted some of the most rewarding experiences he has been a part of since joining Head Start: “When you go into a classroom and you have 3- to 5-year-olds clapping because they enjoyed the meal that was prepared that day, or you have a parent send you a request for a recipe. It’s small steps here. It’s child by child.”

Filed under: Education, Health & Fitness, Nonprofits, Organizations | Leave a comment »

KUED, Sorenson Unity Center, promoting education at home

Posted on December 1, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by DEREK SIDDOWAY

Take a look inside the Eccles Broadcast Center and view a Ready to Learn Workshop.

According to the 2010 Census, nearly 10 percent (9.5) of Utah’s population is under 5 years old. That is the highest in the nation. Yet Utah, along with North Dakota and Montana, are the only states that do not offer free public preschool.

Jacqueline Voland, community outreach and education services manager at KUED, thought that was a problem. So in 2001, when the Department of Education reopened another grant cycle for the PBS Ready to Learn initiative, she took action.

“Our early literacy campaigns were more focused on hard content and resources,” Voland said. “It is important that we have a one-on-one relation with the community and their services. The Ready to Learn initiative supplements education services and provides tools (for parents) at home.”

At its heart, Voland described the Ready to Learn initiative as seeking to increase parental participation and involvement in school and education. All of the programs are designed around Utah’s educational core curriculum and focus on infancy through third grade. The initiative combines educational programming and a “Learning Triangle,” consisting of “read, view and do principles.” The approach is based on the concept that children learn in different ways. Everything is designed to empower parents to take a more active role in their children’s schooling.

“We are trying to be a public vehicle to support education. The Learning Triangle is the basis for what happens in Ready to Learn,” Voland said. “We are providing (parents) with tools to engage their kids at home.”

The Ready to Learn initiative reaches out through a series of workshops in a variety of locations across the state to educate parents. Beginning with media literacy, the subjects branch into child development, health, safety, nutrition, self-esteem issues and anti-bullying, to name a few. Voland said the workshop themes are based on underlying issues that need to be continually addressed.

“The media literacy workshop is the start of anything we do,” Voland said. “Part of our mission is education of appropriate media: what, why and how you should be watching with children. Not all TV is for kids. Parents need to understand that while the TV is on (children) are consuming information in lots of different ways.”

Parents are the first teacher a child ever has, Voland says. As such they play an integral part in the equation for a child’s academic success. To aid parent involvement, the Ready to Learn initiative provides tools to make parental involvement easier. For every given topic, parents are given lists of children’s books and programming for their kids to enjoy.  To address the “do” part of the triangle, parents complete an activity with their children such as paper cup phones. This exercise teaches basic sound principles.

As part of the do, read, view theme every parent is sent home from the workshop with a book to build at-home libraries. They are also encouraged to acquire library cards.

All workshops provide bilingual presenters and material in Spanish and English if needed. As an added bonus partnering sites that provide a location for the workshop are required to supply refreshments or a meal to participants.

One agency that partners with the Ready to Learn initiative is the Sorenson Unity Center. Located at 900 W. 1383 South, the center collaborates with various nonprofit groups through its Programming Partnership. Voland said KUED had partnered with the Sorenson Unity Center in the past but it wasn’t until July 2011 that KUED was approached about joining the Programming Partnership.

“The early phases with the Sorenson Center relations have been good,” Voland said. “We are a nonprofit and in turn it behooves us to reach out and serve community with programming and services.”

As the Ready to Learn Program Coordinator at KUED, Elise Peterson is all about community outreach and the importance of parental involvement in education. The 28-year-old Peterson taught elementary school for three years before receiving her master’s degree in Child Advocacy at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She describes her position at KUED as the perfect fit for her degree and mission.

“These workshops have been so rewarding for me,” Peterson said. “It’s so important to make education accessible because for certain families school can seem daunting.”

Peterson said the KUED workshops serve 15 different sites in the Salt Lake area and average 20 parents at each workshop. Currently she presents monthly at venues like the Sorenson Unity Center. In addition to scheduling and presenting workshops, Peterson helps sponsor other activities through KUED such as parent or literacy nights.

Peterson presents a different themed workshop every month at the Sorenson Unity Center. She says most requests are for science and math, areas part of the STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — program being implemented by PBS and “Sesame Street” this season.

In keeping with the STEM theme, Peterson’s workshop at the Sorenson Unity Center emphasized these focus areas. Fun with Numbers and Science Exploration taught parents how to implement mathematics and scientific exploration into everyday life. Suggestions for parents included cooking with children, separating laundry into dark and light groups and other daily chores. Every activity in the presentation included exercises that parents could do without setting aside extra time.

One example Peterson recommended was the principle of shadows. Parents were challenged to view an online video clip from KUED and then read one of the children’s books such as “Light” by Molly Bang. Next, parents were encouraged to take their children outside to explore making shadows. Puppets were included in the workshop packet for children to continue their exploration.

“Parents are coming back (to the next workshop) sharing experiences of how education is happening at home and what they are doing with the activities,” Peterson said. “It’s great to see the program working and parents being involved with the materials at home.”

Nancy Holt was a first-time participant in the Ready to Learn Workshops. As a working mother, Holt was intrigued by the concept of implement teaching activities at home and exposing her child to a well-rounded education.

“I heard about the workshop through the Community Council,” Holt said before the workshop. “The concept of a parent workshop to help teach children to learn sounded interesting.”

The turnout to the Sorenson Unity Center’s November workshop amounted to four mothers, but Peterson feels a new parent attending was nonetheless encouraging.

Jacqueline Voland, the community outreach and service manager is satisfied knowing the Ready to Learn Initiative is serving the community and empowering parents.

“Every moment is a learning moment,” she said.

Filed under: Education, Media, Nonprofits, Organizations, Science & Technology | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Welfare Square: the LDS Church helps people help themselves

Posted on December 1, 2011 by comm5775

Story and slideshow by CECELIA FENNELL

Take a tour of Welfare Square.

Upon entering the visitor’s center, guests were kindly ushered into a theater-like room by a missionary. When everyone was seated, the woman introduced herself as a volunteer worker for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and started a 15-minute video on the history of Welfare Square. The tour began.

Operated by the LDS church, Welfare Square, located at 780 West and 800 South, serves people all over the world as well as locally. It is composed of seven entities: a granary, milk processing operation, bakery, cannery, storehouse, thrift store and an employment center. According to its website, each is designed to help people help themselves through the service and work organized here.

According to the short film, Welfare Square began during the Great Depression and led to the establishment of the church’s welfare program in Salt Lake City. The idea was to build on a tradition of compassion and charity as shown by Jesus Christ whom members of the LDS church and other Christian faiths look to as their savior and redeemer. Here, the church works to follow the example of Christ by providing care for the poor and helping them to become self-reliant.

Rachel Matautia, 22, from Australia, and her companion, Karly Nelson, 22, of California, are missionaries for the LDS church. The women conduct tours at Welfare Square and answer questions visitors may have about the church or its welfare program.

Following the video, they led visitors to the Bishops’ Storehouse. Members of the church as well as nonmembers come here to fill food and clothing orders for people in need.

“All the food here is grown and canned by the church. The products even have their own Deseret labels,” Matautia said.

Members of the church who are in need of food speak with their bishop, who is the presiding leader in a designated area. The bishop then takes these orders to the bishops’ storehouse and fills the orders with the help of other member volunteers. Recipients of food and services are asked to donate some time volunteering to help others in need.

“For everyone that comes in and has orders filled, we ask that they do four to five hours of service here,” said Jim Goodrich, manager of Welfare Square. “It’s not required, but it helps them to build their independence. People who receive goods for free tend to become dependent and the goal is to help people help themselves,” he said.

For people who don’t have bishops and aren’t members of the church, orders are filled for them as well. Offering service in return is suggested, but optional.

“We have over 30 transients come in each day. One thing many people don’t know is that we will serve everyone in need — no matter their background,” Goodrich said.

Funds to assist with maintenance costs come from “fast offerings” by church members. On the first Sunday of every month, church members skip meals and donate what they would have spent on those meals to the church. One hundred percent of fast offerings go toward helping the poor and needy. Members are not required to donate, though most do.

Many of the individuals receiving help through the bishop’s storehouse are unemployed. The LDS church offers help and work options to such individuals through its employment center.

“People who are in need of work or better work can come here to find employment,” Matautia said. “Employees and volunteers work with people to help them prepare for interviews, write better resumes and assist with needed educational training,” she said.

People in need of jobs can sign up for free classes that provide help with training for specific jobs, as well as English classes to help with the language barrier.

Next, visitors were led to a tall, white, grain elevator. The guides asked the tour group how long they estimated the granary building took to build.

“The granary is 178 feet tall and was built in just eight days because it had to be built through a continuous pouring of cement,” said Karly Nelson, the other tour guide.

The Granary stores wheat grown by the church. It is used in the bakery and to create emergency food supply packs called Atmit. The porridge-like substance, the guides explained, originated in Ethiopia; the LDS church perfected the powder and made it available in bulk. The church has served thousands of malnourished people in Ethiopia as well as other developing countries.

Milk and dairy products are also distributed and processed by the church. Cows owned by the church in Elberta, south of Utah Lake, produce the milk.

“The milk and cheese made at the Milk Processing Center is so fresh, the process of the milk going from the cows to Welfare Square is so quick that the milk hardly touches air,” Matautia said.

Before leaving the creamery, visitors sampled chocolate milk, cheese and bread, all produced by the church.

“Everything made is tested with products sold in the stores to ensure good quality. For example, the peanut butter made here is compared to Jif and Skippy to make sure it is the same quality,” Nelson said.

The tour came to an end as visitors made their way to the familiar Deseret Industries. The church-owned thrift store collects second-hand items. People around Utah donate unwanted items and the DI sells them again at a low cost.

“Not everything is second-hand. Many cabinets are made and sold by the church and they’re brand new,” Nelson said.

Many items donated to the DI also go to the church’s Humanitarian Center and are distributed to the poor and needy.

“Deseret Industries is more than just a thrift store,” said Randy Foote, assistant manager of Deseret Industries. “The DI also offers a community voucher program at no cost. Forty-six DIs participate in this program in Utah, but the need is across the board. People use the vouchers to purchase what they need at the DI,” he said.

The LDS church partners with local nonprofits that provide service. Jim Goodrich, manager of Welfare Square, says all excess food, clothing and goods produced at Welfare Square are donated to other local service organizations, like the Utah Food Bank.

“There seems to be a greater need for food and clothing here because of our location,” Foot said. “We often serve people living on the west side because we are on the west side. People need help everywhere though,” he said.

Becky French is a job coach trainer at the DI and works with all types of people. French decided to work here after moving to Utah from Pennsylvania. She said she was praying for work and found the job through LDS Employment Services.

“One of the things I love most is that they help anyone, it doesn’t matter where they came from. We help them to be self-reliant,” French said. She then shared a story of a woman she worked with who came from the west side of Salt Lake. “She was very capable, but she didn’t have any confidence because she had been abused. I challenged her to higher responsibilities and she was always worried at first but she eventually became a department leader and she’s done well,” she said.

French can recount each individual she has worked with and says they may look intimidating on the outside, but once she got to know them she grew to love them.

“I used to see rough-looking people on the street and feel nervous about working with them,” French said. “After spending some time with these people, it doesn’t matter their past. We’re all people with the same needs and we all want to be able to take care of ourselves and our children. When you give someone a chance, you can see the difference.”

Filed under: Food & Restaurants, Health & Fitness, Organizations, Religion | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »