Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are SERVED!

As a small group from our Social Determinants of Health class we went twice to serve the underserved and lesser known population that is the Homeless Youth in Salt Lake City, Utah. The VOAUT youth resource center is a drop in resource center and emergency shelter for all youth aged 15-22 at-risk or experiencing homelessness. They provide essential basic need items, 3 hot meals a day, pantry food, showers, laundry, life-skills groups, housing and employment case management, dental and medical care assistance, and even provide access to mental health services on-site. The VOAUT Youth Resource Center also provides beds for these young people giving them an opportunity to have a place to stay during the evenings.

We went first to provide breakfast and had a wonderful time preparing sausage, eggs, hash browns and other nutritious foods for the youth and the second time provided Dinner with Grilled Cheese and Soup! The camaraderie and sense of connection we felt as a class was thrilling and engaging but the ultimate experience was getting to know and serve the youth who are experiencing the difficulties in life that no young person should ever have to endure. I was personally touched by those youth who I saw that were wearing buttons, shirts, or other paraphernalia demonstrating that they identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Through my other volunteer work at Encircle I know that the LDS faith and families who identify with that religion often times have many deep seated feelings against the LGBTQ+ community and often when they find out that their children identify as queer will send them away or shun them. These interactions can lead to horrific mental, emotional and psychological traumas that lead the youth to drug abuse or other behaviors that cause health and social risk. Families often force their children out of the house as a result and these at-risk youth have no resources to draw from for help. Often times these youth not only have one driving factor for their risk, but their risks are intersectional with regards to their social determinants of health (minority, queer, homeless, low-income and/or a mix of mental illnesses as well).

In our class we have had many opportunities to discuss the LGBTQ+ as well as the populations experiencing homelessness. I think that every effort made to help these youth will make a difference in each individuals lives and collectively will help to lessen the burden that homelessness makes on the lives of those experiencing it.