Donations by the truckload – Holladay residents support The Road Home
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Gathering up the mounds of donations from Holladay residents, the city’s youth council geared up for a day of volunteering at The Road Home. Pictured from left: Councilmember and youth council advisor Pat Pignanelli, Stephen Walker, Bart Barton, Claire Khodadad, city events coordinator Michele Bohling and Brinley Bywater. Front row from left: Brenna McCandless and Bailey Jacquet.
Tis the season for caring and sharing, and for the fifth consecutive year, the Holladay Youth Council embraced the holiday spirit to spearhead a drive for donations to The Road Home. With the generosity of Holladay residents, support from the Holladay Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, a truckload of supplies were delivered on Dec. 21during the 17th annual Road Home fundraiser.
Supported by Simmons Media and Bonneville Communications, the annual fundraiser brings two local competitors together for two days each year, broadcasting all of their shows live from the shelter. Popular radio personalities compete with each other to encourage listeners to donate money and in-kind items such as hats, gloves, blankets and coats.
“It was a lot of fun,” youth councilmember Stephen Walker said. “It was a good experience to help other people.”
Holladay City events coordinator Michele Bohling said the donations dropped off to the city and to the local SportsClips were mostly new items.
“Donations this year are way up from last year,” Bohling said. “I think it is almost twice the amount.”
Mount Olympus Senior Center volunteers and the city’s knitting group put their efforts toward donating this year. Members knitted enough hats, scarves and mittens to fill two cars. Items were donated to The Road Home’s Candy Cane Corner, a program that collects new items for homeless individuals and families in transitional housing.
The donations could not come at a better time. The Road Home Development Director Celeste Eggert said the need from last year to this year has greatly increased.
“We have definitely seen the need grow particularly in families,” Eggert said. “At our overflow shelter, our seasonal peak prior to this year included 45 families. This year we have been housing 65 to 75 families nightly.”
Youth council members were interviewed by three radio stations to describe their efforts, helped unload truckloads of donations and sorted through items in the warehouse.
“This group of kids [Holladay youth council] helps every year and we appreciate it so much,” Eggert said.
