New programs
In order to better serve the people who need us, Crossroads Urban Center enhanced existing programs and added new services in 2021:
- Our Virginia A. Walton Emergency Assistance Fund provides transit passes, gasoline vouchers, prescription assistance, and help with utilities for families facing shutoffs. In 2021, we increased the budget for these services by $20,000. We are helping more families avoid utility shut offs than ever before. We’ve also greatly increased the number of transit passes we distribute at our downtown pantry.
- We increased the availability of vouchers for new kids shoes for children in need through our Thrift Store. Children and youth ages 2 to 16 are now eligible for shoe vouchers once each year. Homeless youth up to age 18 are also eligible for shoe vouchers.
- We can now help people experiencing homelessness get ID’s and birth certificates free of charge. Crossroads has long played the role of certifying Utah residency for people without a fixed address for the purpose of obtaining ID. This is always a critical need, especially among the unhoused people we serve.
- Crossroads initiated a new, twice-a-week distribution of grocery rescue items at our downtown facility in partnership with the Utah Food Bank. People can come to us on Mondays and Thursdays to get surplus food that has been picked up from local grocery stores. This program is in addition to our regular food pantry service, and serves hundreds of people each month.
- Our hours of operation are longer than ever. Our Thrift Store is now open from 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday through Friday, and the Westside Food Pantry is open four full days each week (closed Wednesdays).
- We have expanded eligibility for our regular emergency food service. Families and individuals needing a three-day supply of emergency food can now come as often as twice each month, while people experiencing homelessness can get day bags of food as often as three time each week.
- Because we are serving so many unsheltered people at our downtown facility, we have increased the availability of blankets, hats, socks, and gloves for the people coming to us for help.
Meet Our 2021 Staff
     | Matt Minkevitch - Food Pantry Director From serving as the chef at the St. Vincent de Paul Community Dining Room to his role as Director of the State of Utah's Community Services Office, or operating emergency shelter and housing services as Executive Director of The Road Home, Matt Minkevitch brings 34 years experience with him to Crossroads Urban Center. He has served in a number of capacities, all of which have been dedicated to serving people who are living in poverty. Matt considers his opportunity to serve at Crossroads as nothing less than "a gift from God." He is devoted to serving people in need with dignity and compassion. Matt has a B.A. in English, and an MBA, both from the University of Utah. Erika Gee - Food Pantry Assistant Erika grew up in Santaquin, UT and has been living in Salt Lake City since 2014. She received a Bachelor's in Social Work from the University of Utah in 2020 and is near completion of a Master's in Social Work program at the University of Denver. She will graduate in March 2022 with a concentration in Health, Equity, and Wellness. Prior to Crossroads, Erika worked in Neuro Acute Care at the University of Utah hospital. She began volunteering in 2018 and became an official part of the Crossroads staff family in December 2020. In her spare time, Erika enjoys hiking and road trips. Tess Otero - Thrift Store Manager Tess joined the Crossroads family in 2016 as the Food Pantry Assistant, where she took the care and time to get to know the names and stories of many of the Pantry visitors. After a brief hiatus, she returned as our new Thrift Store Manager where she continues to help our clients receive the clothing and household items they need. (Longer bio will be posted soon). Danielle Hess - Thrift Store Aide Bio will be posted soon! Sweet Sugar - Pawsitivity Spreader Sugar joined the Crossroads team in Fall of 2021 as the official front office greeter. She excels at her job duties of snuggling, tail wagging, and spreading pawsitivity and is serious about safety! Sugar has an innate talent for giving full body hugs and gentle kisses. She is always on the ready for anyone having a tough day and needing some extra love! (Don't like dogs? That's ok! Sugar is great at listening and sending good energy from a distance when asked). |
Advocacy - Coalition of Religious Communities & Powerful Moms Who Care
The Coalition of Religious Communities continues to work tirelessly to end homelessness in Utah. This year, CORC focused on the unprecedented allocation of federal funding arriving in Utah as part of the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA). CORC held a press conference in July outside the County Government building to remind policy-makers of their role in making sure housing is available for everyone. The press conference, along with subsequent meetings and forums, called for Salt Lake County to designate 20% of its ARPA funding to deeply affordable housing. CORC advocated for this model to be adopted by other Counties and City governments. CORC's top priority going into the 2022 Utah state legislative session is engaging with policymakers and the public to end the sales tax on food. A surplus in the Utah economy allows for an opportunity to eliminate a tax that many other states do not have and that disproportionately affects people in poverty. CORC will host a rally on Thursday, January 20, 2022 from 11am-noon at the North steps of the Utah State Capitol building. To learn more about the sales tax on food and CORC's fight to end homelessness, sign up for our Hunger & Homelessness weekly update.
Powerful Moms Who Care has focused on the needs of low-income families through community organizing in 2021. We have collaborated with numerous local organizations that work with families and have forged new community partnerships. In May we released our Family Supportive Housing report on the moms’ ideal model of what permanent supportive housing for families with children would look like based on their lived experience and tours of affordable housing in Salt Lake. Leaders were able to share this with local decision-makers and explain the need for more housing. We widened our online presence in order to be as safe as possible with the pandemic, by creating a new website, sending monthly newsletter updates with events, posting on our Facebook groups and hosting monthly Zoom member meetings and information sessions. In September we co-hosted a multi-day community organizing training for group leaders with the Disabled Rights Action Committee. We also organized Parent Community Forums in person and virtually to hear from parents about their struggles. Lastly, we explored more solutions to child care access and look forward to continuing in the new year.
Report link: https://www.powerfulmoms.org/_files/ugd/260458_7688acadf291466c935913131acd1a7a.pdf
Website: https://www.powerfulmoms.org/
Powerful Moms Who Care has focused on the needs of low-income families through community organizing in 2021. We have collaborated with numerous local organizations that work with families and have forged new community partnerships. In May we released our Family Supportive Housing report on the moms’ ideal model of what permanent supportive housing for families with children would look like based on their lived experience and tours of affordable housing in Salt Lake. Leaders were able to share this with local decision-makers and explain the need for more housing. We widened our online presence in order to be as safe as possible with the pandemic, by creating a new website, sending monthly newsletter updates with events, posting on our Facebook groups and hosting monthly Zoom member meetings and information sessions. In September we co-hosted a multi-day community organizing training for group leaders with the Disabled Rights Action Committee. We also organized Parent Community Forums in person and virtually to hear from parents about their struggles. Lastly, we explored more solutions to child care access and look forward to continuing in the new year.
Report link: https://www.powerfulmoms.org/_files/ugd/260458_7688acadf291466c935913131acd1a7a.pdf
Website: https://www.powerfulmoms.org/
