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SALT LAKE CITY -- Eileen McCabe carries container after dirty container to a cleaning area just beside the food tent at the Occupy SLC camp in Pioneer Park. Beside her is a young, bearded college student, rags and cleaner in hand as they work together to keep containers for water and food clean for the roughly 120 occupants they will be feeding for dinner Sunday night.
This is a scene played out all over the camp - diverse and sometimes surprising combinations of people working together toward the ongoing occupation of Pioneer Park. They come from the military, the universities, local unions, and a hundred other walks of life, but they are unified in their desire to make themselves - and the "99 percent" - heard.
"I am a computer programmer. I have been working for the same company about ten years. I have two children, 17 and 13," said McCabe.
51-year-old Eileen, from Taylorsville, said that she lives relatively comfortably as a computer programmer, but that she sees how close so many people are to slipping into joblessness and homelessness, and wanted to do something about it.
"I am in the kitchen. I am working. I am delighted to be a part of this action where people have decided they have had enough," she said.
Gail Fish is also one of those demonstrators juggling a job, school and the occupation.
"I've talked about a lot of these issues before, just with friends and family. Didn't do much outside of talking and complaining about what's going on," Fish said.
Instead of complaining, she says she's now demonstrating for a "solution" to some of the country's economic problems. But this Florida native has her hands full.
"I'm studying anthropology with a focus on historical archeology."
Fish also works for the Center for American Languages.
"The schedule is pretty flexible. I can put in hours when I know there's a lot of people here."
Aharon Ben Or's work schedule is also allows him to spend much of his time with Occupy SLC.
"I've been doing a little bit of work online. I've been doing some test prep tutoring, ACTs, SATs," Ben Or said. The Harvard honors graduate sees the demonstration and his participation in it as more of a spiritual journey. He calls it a "peace consciousness."
"I really see the motto of what we're doing community building rather than a protest," Ben Or said.
Ben Or hopes Occupy SLC and other movements like it will spark a dialogue. But in the meantime, the bills still need to be paid.
"It's a really diverse movement, but the slogan is "We are the 99 percent against the 1 percent of the financial elite," said Ryan Kowalchik, a student at the University of Utah. This is the theme that keeps so many tied to the park.
Those who can't occupy full time often lend their support during marches, which have been occurring daily around the downtown area.
Danielle Smith, who spent eight years on active duty for the Marine Corps, lent her support on Thursday for the group's first march.
"I spent six months in Iraq. My husband spent a year doing patrols (in Iraq) and was in the invasion. So, I kinda feel like I need to be out here representing veterans that are afflicted with what the wars have brought to the military and to us," Smith said.
Saturday afternoon, four protesters could be seen setting up a large tent that they said was for a homeless family that had lost their spot in a local shelter.
"Lance Corporals and PFC's, they're making like $23,000, and they're sitting in Iraq for six months getting shot at," she said. "The money goes to the contractors, it doesn't go to the people on the ground."
Even before the group moved in, the park had occupants - dozens of homeless Salt Lake residents who have no place else to go. Occupy SLC has been showing support for these folks as well, who are welcomed into the camp, eat the food she same food cooked by people like McCabe, and setting down stakes with them.
Saturday afternoon, four protesters could be seen setting up a large tent that they said was for a homeless family that had lost their spot in a local shelter.
"We're here to support each other. People from all walks of life are here, not just the unemployed and the underemployed, but those of us that have jobs are here to support those that don't," said Brian Faulkner, president of the Central Utah Federation of Labor, who attended the initial march.
The occupation is now in it's fifth day, and has reached 67 tents and roughly 120 people. The group also issued an invitation to "local leaders and politicians to come and learn about what we're doing and why we are here."
On Oct. 14, they will hold a "Friday Forum" where local officials will tour the camp and hear addresses from Occupy spokespeople. The statement emphasized that "our community leaders have been invited not to speak, but for a chance to listen to the voice of the people."
Story written by [David Self Newlin](<mailto: dnewlin@ksl.com>) with contributions from [Lori Prichard. ](<mailtio: lprichard@ksl.com>)
