This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Kathy Wagner's heart has always been with the homeless, she said as she sat in a room surrounded by piles of community donations intended for transient teens.
She worked as a secretary in Granite School District for 34 years, the last 15 of which she spent in schools with teens who got into legal trouble. That experience left her with a soft spot for "youth with sad stories" and the realization that they could, and often did, overcome mistakes and misfortune.
She gets emotional when she thinks of the young people, ages 15 to 22, who utilize the Volunteers of America's homeless youth shelter and resource center and what brought them there.
"There's just a lot of kids that need love that don't have it," she said, "and that just makes me feel sad."
Wagner is one of about 2,000 people who volunteer at the center throughout the year, though not everyone spends as much time there as she does. Working at the center was her "dream" when she retired, she said, and she's been coming regularly for about 15 months, first at the old facility and now the new one, 888 S. 400 West, in Salt Lake City.
"I got hooked," Wagner said, "so it changed from two mornings a week to two days a week to 34 hours a week. It just feels good."
While not formally trained to counsel these young people, over time Wagner has found a way to build connections.
"They're much friendlier to me now, which is nice," she said. "I think the reason that they're more friendly to me now is because I'm here all the time, so all of a sudden, I think, they know they can trust me and they know that there are some adults out in the world that care about them."
One young man benefiting from the center is 18-year-old Harlem Farmer.
Estranged from his family in Iowa, Farmer journeyed a thousand miles to the resource center, where he found a place to stay, clothes to wear and, now, has hope for employment.
At the VOA center, there are about 60 other teens and young adults, some coming from states such as Wyoming and Texas, and many of whom have stories similar to Farmer's.
"Right now I'm working on getting a birth certificate and ID," he recently told The Tribune. "I couldn't do that if I was out there [on the streets], but this place is helping with it. They have groups that can help us get all this stuff and then help us get our jobs. And when we get our jobs, we can apply for housing."
Back in Denison, Iowa, Farmer was enrolled in Job Corp., a vocational program for low-income young people interested in earning a high school diploma or GED and finding a steady job. But "issues" with his family left him fending for himself. His sister, who lives in Ogden, pointed him to the VOA center, he said, and he has been there ever since.
He is "really happy" to have found the VOA and is thankful for the donations of cash and clothing that come from community members, especially as the temperatures drop. Without the community's help, Farmer said, people like himself might feel, "outside and freezing."
Instead, Wagner is there, working with other volunteers and staff members to connect the young adults with community support.
As of this week, the three items the center is most in need of are winter coats for people ages 15 to 22, bus tokens for clients headed to school or job interviews, and $5 gift cards to restaurants or grocery stores. A more complete list of collection items can be found at www.sltrib.com/holidaycharity">http://www.sltrib.com/holidaycharity.
Twitter: @mnoblenews Volunteers of America depends on community donations
The Salt Lake Tribune is partnering with the Volunteers of America for the holiday season and will accept donations at the center, 888 S. 400 West, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on upcoming Fridays — Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.
During those times, participants will receive a raffle ticket for each donation worth $25. Details about the prizes are listed at www.sltrib.com/holidaycharity">http://www.sltrib.com/holidaycharity. If a donor wants to receive raffle tickets but needs to make alternative arrangements to drop off items, please contact dara@sltrib.com.
For anyone interested in donating earlier in the week, and who prefers to pass on the raffle, the center accepts items between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
All donations are tax deductible. For more information about how to get involved with the VOA, visit voaut.org.