SALT LAKE CITY - Candy Cane Corner has been in existence for nine years to help those in need at the Road Home have presents for Christmas. Without Candy Cane Corner, and with the influx of families, those in need would not have a holiday this December.
"The Salt Lake City Road Home shelter is the largest shelter in the state of Utah and we are always full, with a waiting list," said Celeste Eggert, Road Home director of development and communications. "During the winter we run a second shelter in Midvale from November to April. With the extremely cold temperatures Utah has been experiencing, the Midvale shelter housed 55 families Dec. 10. Usually this time of year that facility houses 30 families. There were close to 1,000 people in all of our shelter programs on Dec. 10."
In prior years, the Road Home participated in Sub for Santa, Eggert said. "That is a great program, but a lot of our families said they really missed being able to pick out toys and clothing that they know their children would like. So we opened our own holiday store at the shelter - Candy Cane Corner. The YWCA also started doing their own holiday store. We decided to combine our services rather than duplicate our efforts and created the Candy Cane Corner store."
The holiday store, which is open every December, has been in different locations, Eggert said. Both this year and last year it was located at 330 East 400 South, in the old First American Title building.
People who are in shelters and housing for the Road Home, at the YWCA or who are with the Road Home's new partner, Volunteers of America - Utah, visit Candy Cane Corner with a case manager and choose what they want for family members, Eggert said. "We only allow parents in the store; we do not allow children. They each get a voucher telling them how much of everything they can get. We basically give each adult and child an outfit, and the children get lots of toys, stocking stuffers and books. The parents hand-select the items, then wrap the presents. We keep the presents until Christmas Eve, and then hand them out to the families."
The program has grown over the years, Eggert said. Last year more than 1,234 people, or close to 400 households were served, and this year 2,500 individuals totaling 600 families will be assisted, she said.
"This year with the economy the way it is and more people out of work, we are seeing a 37 percent increase in all of our shelters this year," she said. "Over the last two years, we have seen a 124 percent increase in families in our shelters. Families, both locally and nationally, are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. We are definitely seeing that in Salt Lake City."
Despite the need, the Road Home isn't filled to capacity, Eggert said. "Our Midvale shelter still has room. We will take anybody and will not turn anybody away. If we have to, we will put people on cots in our hallways and lobbies."
The Road Home is a private non-profit social service agency that assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness along the Wasatch Front. Their mission is to help people step out of homelessness and back into the community. The Road Home was originally established in 1923 to assist stranded travelers. It has grown to address a spectrum of needs that people experiencing homelessness encounter as they work to restore their lives.
If you would like to make a donation to the Candy Cane Corner store, call Celeste Eggert at 801-819-7291, or drop off your donations at 330 East 400 South, Salt Lake City.
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