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SALT LAKE CITY — When Edward Panos walked into the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake the first time, his thoughts turned to his brothers who have struggled with addiction.
Unlike many of the men he has met at the mission, his brothers had the safety net of a close-knit Greek family who helped them get into treatment. Even with that support, his brother Jimmy, after many years of living sober, died of a heroin overdose 15 years ago.
“I’ve always known I wanted to help others who have experienced a similar tragedy or loss, but I didn’t have a clear vision until God brought me to the Rescue Mission and introduced me to (its executive director) Chris Croswhite," Panos said.
"Once I met Chris, I said, 'OK, God sent me down here for a reason,'" he said.
Panos set out to help in a tangible way that would have a direct impact on mission visitors' daily quality of life — replacing the mission's restroom and showers, which Croswhite says receive the equivalent of 13 years of use in a single year.
While most people take for granted that they can take a shower each day, for a person experiencing homelessness, personal hygiene — or the lack of it — is a high stakes proposition. It can mean the difference between getting a job or losing out on some other opportunity to get back on track in life, he said.
Mostly, it's a matter of basic dignity and self-respect, Croswhite said.
Fundraising for the project got underway in October, and demolition work started this week. Donations to complete the project are being accepted through GoFundMe.
Panos said once he described the project to friends, associates and acquaintances, they stepped up with financial and in-kind donations, donated labor and design services, and deeply discounted fixtures and building materials from wholesalers.
While there is an ongoing community discussion about the future of homeless services in Salt Lake City, Croswhite said the Rescue Mission receives no public funding and its facilities serve smaller numbers of people, which was a key recommendation of the city and county groups that studied the locations of facilities that serve people experiencing homelessness.
In any event, new shelters or services will not be developed overnight, so the Rescue Mission needs to continue to offer a high level of services, whether someone spends the night or commits to its 13-month faith-based addiction recovery program.
Baseline services are "our front door to building relationships and trust," Croswhite said.
Panos said he offered to replace the restroom because it was outdated and inadequate for the heavy use it receives. On top of that, a broken pipe was leaking water into the mission’s downstairs chapel and multipurpose room.
The project is being tackled in stages, Panos said. The toilets and lavatory area are being replaced first, followed by the showers, so visitors and men in the mission's recovery program still have access, which is a necessity, Croswhite said.
"We're 24/7. We never close," he said.
The new restrooms will feature low-flow shower heads, automatic shut-off valves and high-use commercial grade fixtures. The updates will allow the mission to save on water, natural gas, repair and maintenance costs.
"This is going to be a beautiful bathroom they can feel good about," Panos said.
Croswhite said the project is a great example of someone seeing a need and leveraging their personal and professional networks to bring it to fruition.
"Really, this is a story about how one person can make a difference," he said.
As he has talked to men who stay at the Rescue Mission, Panos said he is reminded that a high percentage of people are related to or are close to someone who has struggled with addiction.
His brother Jimmy died at age 45. Despite a loving family, a steady income and resources to seek care from the best rehabilitation centers, he could not overcome his addiction.
"The guys are just like us," Panos said, walking down the hall of the Rescue Mission.
"They want the same things we want in life, but they got sidetracked." Email: marjorie@deseretnews.com
