Salt Lake City Mission delivering Easter meals to needy families
Mar 29, 2024, 6:24 PM | Updated: 7:38 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — On this Good Friday, many religious organizations are turning to service to help Utah families prepare for Easter.
At the Salt Lake City Mission located at 1151 S. Redwood Road, volunteers have been working for months collecting donations for Easter meal boxes.
“We’re putting turkeys in them, pies in them, canned vegetables, cranberries, everything you would need for a good Easter dinner,” said Pastor Shawn Clay, Executive Director of the Salt Lake City Mission. “Everybody deserves to celebrate a holiday with a good meal and that’s why we do what we do.”
Clay said Easter is a day when many families gather around at the dinner table, and relieving them of the financial burden of providing that meal is just one of the many goals of the Mission.
“We want to be the hope realized in the lives of the hungry, homeless, and families that need some extra help. What we do year round is more than just a meal as we also assist the disadvantaged in so many different ways on a daily basis,” said Clay.
On Friday, volunteers arrived at the mission before 7 a.m. to finish building the free Easter boxes. Just a few hours later, earlier than expected, cars were already lined up to pick them up. By lunchtime, volunteers had already given out more than 100 boxes.
“There are people struggling in this community and it takes a community to help a community,” Clay said.
By 2 p.m., volunteers had given out the remainder of the Easter food boxes. The food that was left over was then given to partnering organizations to distribute. Clay said these types of partnerships are critical to reaching everyone in need.
“If we all work together, we can do away with a lot of things people are struggling with in this city, food insecurity and even homelessness if we come together,” he said.
The Salt Lake City Mission will hold a special Easter service on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
“We’re celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that is so important and not just for us, but for everybody,” Clay said.
The Mission is always in need of donations and volunteers, you can learn more about it by visiting the SaltLakeCityMission website.