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Midvale Journal

The Road Home Opens New Shelter in Midvale

Jan 26, 2016 10:49AM ● By Amanda Butler

By Amanda Butler | [email protected]

Midvale - The Road Home announced the completion of its new Midvale community winter shelter on Nov. 25, 2015. Located at 529 West 7300 South in Midvale, the facility provides shelter for homeless families during potentially life-threatening cold weather. The facility offers temporary shelter for families 24 hours a day from October through March, when the need for shelter traditionally increases.

“We’re glad to have the Midvale shelter open so that we can accommodate families during the cold winter months,” Matt Minkevitch, executive director of the Road Home, said. “We anticipate that 300 low-income families will find temporary shelter there this year.”

For many families, the shelter opened just in time to provide refuge during the coldest months of the year. 

“We are serving between 70 and 85 families each day at the Midvale shelter – including around 150 to 175 children,” Michelle Flynn, associate executive director of programs for The Road Home, said.

The Road Home operates two shelters, as well as provides emergency services, case management and housing solutions to help its clients become independent and transition into affordable permanent housing. 

“We have continued our focus on providing safe shelter and connecting families with resources they need to move out and remain stable in the community,” Flynn said. “In addition to our case managers and housing team who are officed onsite at the Midvale shelter, we also have partners providing services onsite including the Department of Workforce Services, Salt Lake Community Action Program, Fourth Street Clinic and the Canyons School District.”

Work began on the new shelter in March 2015. It was built on the site of a warehouse from the 1940s that had served as a temporary winter shelter since 1989. The new building is a safe, secure facility that provides adequate restrooms, a laundry room, kitchens, and community spaces; as well as private meeting spaces where families can sit down together for a meal. The building also features plenty of natural light and views of the Wasatch Mountains.

 “We’re very grateful to NJRA Architects for designing this beautiful new building, and to Hogan & Associates Construction for working tirelessly to finish the project,” Minkevitch said. “We also want to say thank you again to all the organizations and individuals who donated funds to finance the rebuilding of the shelter, including the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the George S. and Delores Dore Eccles Foundation, the Larry H. and Gail Miller Foundation and the Utah State Legislature.”

Additionally, Flynn expressed gratitude to local individuals and families who have provided donations. “A huge thanks to the Midvale community who have supported our efforts with an incredible amount of in-kind donations to the shelter, including blankets, towels, diapers and other needed items.” 

 The Road Home is the largest provider of homeless services in Utah. The non-profit organization “begins by providing people with basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, while immediately working with them to develop a plan for housing. Their programs are designed to connect people with resources and to help integrate them back into the community.”

 “The Road Home and its community partners serve as a lifeline for the children and adults who are experiencing homelessness along the Wasatch Front,” Minkevitch said. “And, tackling the critical needs of so many Utahns during the winter months creates an increased need for funding and in-kind donations.”

 The Road Home is happy to receive online donations at www.theroadhome.org and donations of warm clothing, blankets and coats at the Midvale Community Winter Shelter; or at the Main Shelter, located at 210 South Rio Grande Street (455 West) in Salt Lake City.