Local Jeep lovers and others supply gift donations to The Road Home
Dec 24, 2022, 8:31 PM | Updated: Dec 27, 2022, 2:13 pm
MIDVALE, Utah — You know you are blessed when donations heading your way require a cart the size of a Jeep.
Haylee Allen, who works at The Road Home shelter in Midvale, said her team cannot help the homeless as well as they do without donations.
“It is really good to see how giving people are and how generous they are,” Allen said. “There are people out here who care. And there is more than one — we have got a whole parade of people who care.”
Allen isn’t kidding when she says parade.
Jeeps line up outside The Road Home to make donations in the spirit of the holiday season. (Mark Less, KSL TV)
Saturday morning, a line of Jeeps formed outside The Road Home with Santa Claus leading the way.
Santa led a parade of Jeep-enthusiasts that all brought a bounty of gift donations to The Road Home in Midvale. (Mark Less, KSL TV)
Every year, a group of off-road Jeep lovers get together to deliver gifts they’ve collected throughout the year to donate to The Road Home.
“Just love bringing the stuff to people who don’t have it. The less fortunate, you know? It’s important,” Garrett Phelps said.
This event is their way of letting others know that people still care.
“People need help every year,” said Charlie Copsey, who owns Just 4 Fun Motorsports. “This time of year, we want to come together as a Jeeping community and as people who want to help those who need it.”
Donations came in large bags like Santa’s sack of toys. (Mark Less, KSL TV)
With inflation this year, their need for help is growing.
Bitter cold temperatures have also been a challenge, which is why many of these donations included warm clothes.
“There are definitely a lot of cold people and so we want to make sure everyone is bundled up and kept warm,” Allen said. “Someone just now came up to me, she was wearing a pair of puffy slippers, and was like ‘do you have any winter shoes? This is all I have.'”
Thanks to these donations, The Road Home can continue to help those who are homeless with basic needs that you don’t normally see on Christmas wish lists.
“It is very humbling seeing that pile, it just get taller than me every year,” said Santa Clause, who led the parade in a Jeep from B.O.A.R. Off Road. “People showing up, gathering those items, clothes, boots, Carhartt’s, all these things for wintertime, really makes a difference.”
No matter how busy a night it is going to be for Santa, there is always time for a stop like this.
“The true spirit of Christmas,” Santa said.
