SALT LAKE CITY, Ut —
For people trying to get off the streets, finding a home is only part of the journey.
At The Other Side Prep School in Salt Lake City, people experiencing homelessness are learning life skills and working toward a more stable, independent future.
The Prep School is part of The Other Side Village, a nonprofit focused on helping people transition from chronic homelessness into permanent supportive housing.
Tim Stay, CEO of The Other Side Foundation, Monday gave Fox 13 a tour of a new modular apartment building on the campus at 6th East and 1st South in Salt Lake City just a week after their official ribbon cutting ceremony marking this campus’s grand opening.
The building was constructed modularly in Spanish Fork. Stay said a crane placed the sections of the four-story building over the course of about four days.
“We’ve got about 30 people living in here right now,” Stay said.
The dorm-style housing includes private and shared spaces, along with common areas and meeting rooms.
Stay said the program is designed to help people move from the chaos of life on the streets into a more structured and accountable life.
“A lot of what we’re trying to do is how do we create opportunities for people to connect rather than be isolated,” he said.
The goal is to help residents learn how to live independently, become self-reliant and eventually thrive.
For Melissa “MJ” Hepworth, that mission is personal.
Hepworth graduated from the Prep School about a year ago and now works with people who are new to the program.
“I’m here working with the newest people who are fresh off the streets or coming out of homeless shelters, and helping them acclimate,” Hepworth said.
She describes the goal of the program in one word: “Transformation.”
Hepworth said the program also challenges people to recognize their own potential.
“What happens here is we really raise the bar and we teach people that they’re really capable of so much more,” she said.
She said having someone believe in you can make a difference.
“When somebody holds the bar higher, it makes you do what nobody else has made you do,” Hepworth said. “Something lights inside of you like, wait, they think I’m capable of more.”
She said that support has helped her personally.
“I’m shining bright and it’s because people believed in me,” Hepworth said.
The Other Side says the new building is one part of a larger effort to build community, restore dignity and help people create sustainable lives.
For Hepworth, it’s proof that with the right support, a different life is possible.
LEARN MORE HERE - www.theothersidevillage.com