CORONAVIRUS: STRONGER TOGETHER
Utah Charity Receives Help In Finding New Home
Feb 6, 2021, 7:36 PM | Updated: Dec 23, 2022, 10:16 pm
LOGAN, Utah — A charity in Logan says impacts from the pandemic are forcing them to move out of their building, with no current plans for a new home. But since the story aired on KSL-TV, Jump the Moon has been getting numerous offers of help, and they may soon have a solution.
In about four years, Michael Bingham has managed to make a lot of new friends, and shared with them just how much art can change a life.
“You’ve done so darn much for me,” said Beverly Byington.
“And you really inspired me in so many ways,” Bingham said to Byington.
His friends include 92-year-old Beverly Byington, and Halen Harrington.
“It is seriously watching this kid just open up and blossom in a way that I’ve never ever seen,” said Halen’s mom, Valarie Harrington.
Valarie says her son has autism. He’s painfully shy, but through art, he’s opened up with Bingham and one of his other students, Nick Chaffin.
“Mr. Bingham does have a really good talent in connecting with people like me, and getting us to work through our disabilities,” said Nick. “He calls them diverse abilities.”
Jump The Moon helps people with significant challenges, discover their inner-artist. Because they haven't been able to help as many people during the pandemic, that Cache Valley nonprofit is now having to move out. Now, they're hoping someone will step in to help. @KSL5TV at 6pm. pic.twitter.com/Zy72GBjETA
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) February 4, 2021
But up until just a day or two ago, Bingham says he was having to pass on some difficult news.
“They’re like family, almost, and it was killing me to tell them, ‘Guess what? You can’t come here anymore,'” said Michael Bingham, director of Jump the Moon.
But Bingham says since our story aired Thursday, offers to help have been coming in from all over — even from people like Byington who said she doesn’t want to see this come to an end.
He’ll set up for now in the Cache Center for the Arts. It’s not big enough to do everything that they’d like, but Bingham says there’s already hope building for a more permanent solution.
“I feel good. I feel really good,” said Bingham.
At least one big donor has come forward, who is helping Bingham look at what may be an even larger space for Jump The Moon.
“It used to say ‘Dream Big,’ and I changed it to be ‘Big-er,'” said the director. “One of my things that I don’t do well is spell.”
The dream seems to be coming together in ways he’d never imagined.
“I feel like it’s my life’s mission to do what I’m doing. This is why I’m here,” said Bingham.
And now, he’s got a few more people to help him keep doing it.
“Thanks! I sure love you guys,” he said.
