85 families fill The Road Home overflow shelter


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SALT LAKE CITY — Imagine a child without a winter coat or shoes.

That's a reality many families face in Utah.

Right now 85 families and 150 children are homeless — all living in an old brick warehouse in Midvale — hoping to get a new start.

"It's a real shock. When we pulled up here, I burst into tears,” said one homeless mother staying at the Road Home.

Many families and individuals call the Road Home shelter in Midvale their home, all with a common goal — looking for help. And help is what many say they find.

“All of our efforts are focused on engaging the families as soon as they're here, find out what those barriers were that lead them here and how we can overcome those as quickly as possible,” said associate executive director Michelle Flynn.

Caseworkers at the Road Home help families find new housing, jobs and the basic necessities to survive. Some of the money comes from local government resources, but more than 50 percent comes from donations.


All of our efforts are focused on engaging the families as soon as they're here..

–Michelle Flynn, Associate Executive Director


In April, that facility will be torn down and a new one will be built in its place. That means all of those families will have to be moved to new housing or another shelter, making donations now vital.

Ten Utah radio stations took donations Dec. 18-19 part of The Road Home's 20th annual Radioathon. FM100.3, 103.5 the Arrow and KSL's NewsRadio 102.7FM, along with other local stations, raised over $2 million, including matched donations, according to The Road Home's website.

But it’s not too late to help the state's homeless community. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.theroadhome.org.

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