Everything Under The Sun: Helping People Who Are Homeless In Utah

Monday, January 4, 2016

Helping People Who Are Homeless In Utah

Volunteers make personal, one-to-one contact with those who need their help.

Many organizations that provide services to those without homes take on a multi-task approach, trying to address more than one need. THE LEGACY INITIATIVE OF UTAH is no different. Its founder, Travis Hysell grew up knowing what it was to live with a limited income, and even spent a small portion of his life without a physical home. His mother raised him and instilled in Travis his sense of compassion and caring. He recalls her teaching him, "Even when we have little, it is still important that we help those who have less."

A major part of the projects launched by the Legacy Initiative involves a 5 acre community garden and an 8 acre food forest in American Fork, Utah. The community garden is being built in four different phases, with the first two phases setting up the gardens and crops. The remaining phases add various buildings around the gardens. These gardens provide foodstuffs for such services as the food kitchen, which provides meals for those who lack that resource.

The organization does operated with minimal resources. They raise awareness among community members and provide avenues for participation. For instance, the Legacy Initiative started out with just nine volunteers and had grown to 400 volunteers and served 20,000 meals by early 2014.

These days services are divided among three different teams. The Grey Team is the original program and provides food, clothing, hygiene items, along with other needed resources in a dignified and respectful manner. This team also provides advocacy services, providing a voice to those without permanent homes. The Red Team patrols the streets. By providing a street presence, they hope to reduce crime. The team removes and destroys used needles, various paraphernalia, and other harmful items; breaks up fights, provides first aid, and contacts EMS if needed; and performs welfare checks under extreme cold conditions. The Green Team is known for its sustainable practices. This team has been building the community garden in phases and is also working on the food forest. By doing this, the team is promoting sustainable practices and has the support of the city of American Fork.

There is compassion and dignity in helping others.

Besides promoting community involvement, the Legacy Initiative also accepts donations online. The future includes plans to spread their approach to other communities in the Far West. Similar to what has been accomplished in American Fork, the organization has been training teams in California and Washington. They wish to spread their caring and compassionate approach and their belief that all people are deserving of respect and dignity.