Many of us may volunteer or donate at a charity from time to time, or even regularly. However, with COVID-19 affecting everyone’s livelihoods, many charities have been facing a shortage of staffing and funds recently. These organizations have worked tirelessly to help others, and with COVID-19, they are in greater need than ever of financial assistance year-round and likely for many months or years to come. 

If you can give financially, please consider these local charities. They offer services to help those in need, from serving the homeless to working with vulnerable children in foster care. Your aid will go a long way in helping others and building a stronger community. 

The INN Between

The INN Between opened in 2015 as a nonprofit Hospice that specializes in providing emergency shelter and care for homeless people who are too ill to be on the streets. Through March 2022, they have served over 400 clients, many of whom have managed to exit their program and begin a new life in stable housing with little-to-no risk of returning to homelessness. 

The INN Between provides temporary shelter for people facing illness, but not so ill as requiring hospital attention. However, unlike a homeless shelter, which accepts walk-up clients, the Inn Between requires a medical referral for anyone looking to stay under their care. If you would like to help the Inn Between continue its mission of serving the medically ill and homeless, you can donate online right now.

Website: www.tibhospice.org

Current Needs:

• Financial resources
• Volunteer time
• Foodstuffs (dry goods)
• Hygiene products
• Twin XL fitted sheets
• Disinfecting wipes and bleach

Utah Youth Village 

Utah Youth Village is a network of Treatment Foster Homes with a mission to change of lives of youth with traumatic backgrounds in and around Salt Lake City. Through mentoring and coaching, the Utah Youth Village has a positive effect on the lives of the youth involved in their network, helping them develop into successful adults and finding long-term foster care. 

The Utah Youth Village has a 75-85% success rate with their wards, most of whom go on to live in a traditional foster care home, find permanent adoption, or even find a home of their own. With many of their program graduates being older teens, the Village also provides scholarships to students who pursue college or vocational training upon graduation. 

You can donate now to help them make a difference in the lives of youths or select Utah Youth Village as your preferred charity through their partnership with AmazonSmile to contribute.

Website: youthvillage.org

Current Needs:

• Financial resources
• Volunteering of time
• Clothing
• Toys and school supplies
• Personal hygiene items
• A backpack, duffel bags, or suitcase

Utah Food Bank

The Utah Food Bank has served its community by providing food for those less fortunate for over 117 years. An estimated 1 in 8 individuals goes hungry every year in Utah, many of whom are children. By partnering with 216 agencies across the state, the Utah Food Bank successfully distributed about 58.5 million meals to individuals last year alone. 

The Utah Food Bank accepts food donations at their two main warehouses (listed below) and additional locations and partner agencies. In addition to feeding the hungry, the Utah Food Bank is also one of the few agencies in the U.S. that supply food to other food banks and agencies completely free-of-charge. 

If you would like to donate food, you can donate food from the store or your pantry at any of the listed locations. If you wish to contribute in other ways, you can donate funds online to help them purchase more food to feed the community.

Website: www.utahfoodbank.org

Current Needs:

• Financial resources
• Volunteering time
• Foodstuffs (particularly shelf-stable goods)

The Road Home 

The Road Home is an emergency shelter for the homeless, providing support services and various programs to help families and individuals step out of homelessness and into a safe environment. In addition to emergency shelter and housing services, the Road Home also accepts clothing donations, 7-days a week, to help those struggling with or at risk of homelessness. 

The Road Home offers rapid-rehousing and permanent supportive housing depending on the needs of the family or individuals at risk or currently on the streets. Additionally, they have support teams dedicated to serving veterans to ensure their needs are met and help them integrate back into civilian life. If you would like to donate, you can set up a one-time payment or a recurring payment scheme. 

Website: theroadhome.org

Current Needs:

• Clothes (particularly underwear and socks)
• Baby care supplies
• Toiletries (including feminine hygiene products)
• Towels and linens
• Financial resources
• Volunteer time

Utah Foster Care Foundation

The Utah Foster Care Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mentoring and instructing families about foster care to better prepare them to become foster parents. With a mission of educating and nurturing families to create a safe environment for vulnerable kids, they have mentored and guided over 15,000 families to become foster parents since their foundation in 1999. 

The Utah Foster Care Foundation provides pre-service training to families as well as ongoing instruction and guidance to families already involved with foster care. Additionally, they offer small-group programs for foster families to connect with other families or individuals involved in foster care. If you would like to contribute to helping them mentor and guide parents in making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children, you can donate online.

Website: utahfostercare.org

Current Needs:

• Financial resources
• Toys and school supplies
• Clothing
• Personal hygiene items
• A backpack, duffel bags, or suitcase
• Volunteering of time

People Helping People, Inc.

People Helping People is a unique nonprofit organization that seeks to help children living in poverty by teaching and mentoring low-income women, especially single mothers, on how to find stable employment and earn enough money to live on and support their kids. 

Their program involves preparing mothers to be successful in the workplace, offering ongoing employment education workshops to coach and guide them along every step of the process of finding and maintaining a job. In addition to instruction and mentorship, People Helping People facilitates monthly Meet & Greets with employers in Salt Lake County, directly helping women find entry-level positions with opportunities for promotion and benefits. 

If you are an employer who would like to make a difference, you can contact them for info on how to partner with People Helping People. You can also donate online to help them continue serving the community. 

Website: www.phputah.org

Current Needs:

• Financial resources
• Foodstuffs (shelf-stable)
• Feminine hygiene items
• Toys and games for children
• Volunteering time

If you know of any other deserving charities that need our help, please leave a comment. Every little bit of help adds up to make a big difference. Thank you for helping look after our community.