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Salt Lake County honors donors, volunteers behind program that helps prevent youth homelessness

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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Deputy Mayor Nichole Dunn honored volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of at-risk young adults in the area.

The Milestone Transitional Living Program is designed to help 18 to 21 year olds in Salt Lake County who are facing homelessness become self-sufficient.

Thursday, city officials honored the many community members, volunteers and donors who helped renovate the two Milestone houses in Salt Lake County, and they said they want to bring community awareness to the program.

The transition program gives young adults who are facing homelessness a place to live and helps them find jobs to support themselves after they leave.

“They want to be employed,” said Mina Koplin, a program manager for Milestone. “They want to be self-sufficient. None of these young adults come in and say, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to do anything.’ They want to, they just need the support and the structure and the commitment to have people around them that want to work with them.”

Koplin said the goal is to give these young adults support and a positive environment to help them start the rest of their lives.

The program has two locations. A home in West Valley City has housing for six females and another home in Sandy hosts five males. The properties are leased through Youth Services, Salt Lake County Housing Authority and the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

For more information about the Milestone Transitional Living Program, click here.