Help, workers desperately needed to provide services to Salt Lake’s homeless

SALT LAKE CITY — Help is needed at homeless service providers to help those who are unsheltered. Staff and volunteer positions are plentiful. So much so, in fact, that Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall made an urgent public appeal to meet the need.

She said people are sleeping on the streets because there are not enough workers to staff the shelters, and a willingness to help is the most important qualification.

“Shelter staff and volunteers play such an important role in the lives of the unsheltered population, and providers cannot function without them,” Mendenhall said. “Salt Lakers are known for their service and compassion, and I hope those looking for work or for service opportunities will consider one of the many open positions within the homeless services system.”

Help is needed to keep overflow doors open this winter and increase capacity at homeless facilities. The city is reporting that The Road Home, Utah Community Action and Volunteers of America — Utah have more than 100 paid positions available, including 45 involving overflow programs at shelters.

The wide variety of openings cover a range of experience and skill sets.

“There are people sleeping on our streets last night and tonight who could be in the shelter if the Road Home had enough applicants qualified for staffing,” Mendenhall said.

“The Road Home is pleased to be able to support Salt Lake City and County and our residents who are in desperate need of safe shelter by expanding our overflow operations to an additional facility,” Michelle Flynn, executive director of The Road Home, said. “We are working together with our partners to hire and train team members and support opening the additional facility to provide safe, warm shelter as soon as possible.”

The Volunteers of America Utah needs eight full-time workers to operate its overflow program at the Wiegand Center. The need there was called critical because it will shelter people who are on the streets during the coldest months of the year. Without the filled positions, the beds can’t be opened up.

The Road Home needs to fill 30 positions to get its overflow center running.

Job openings can be found at:

• www.voaut.org/careers
• https://theroadhome.org/get-involved/careers/
• https://utahca.applicantpro.com/jobs/2137104.html

Volunteer opportunities can be found at:

• https://www.voaut.org/volunteer
• https://theroadhome.org/get-involved/
• https://www.utahca.org/volunteer/