Chase Hansen and his dad John noticed people experiencing homelessness in their area and wanted to help. But they didn't just want to hand out food or money.
They wanted to find a sustainable solution to the problem, so they started 'Project Empathy'. Think of it as research missions in the community, gathering ideas and interviews with members of the community who suffer and learning from community advocates, meeting with influencers and leaders and experimenting with people to foster connection and seed friendships.
Chase and his dad have a simple approach... to sit down over a meal and talk. "We want to discover their needs, to lift their spirits, to discover their passions and dreams, and to give them a voice in the process to come. We believe that listeners will become engaged in unique, creative solutions and will invest in the journey of others while becoming informed to the realities of the challenges we face in our community and across our great nation, says John.
To gather support Chase met with his Mayor, Troy Walker of Draper, Mayor Jenny Wilson (Salt Lake County), Representative Ben McAdams (U.S. House of Representative), as well as the Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox and Attorney General Sean Reyes, all leaders invested in solving the homeless crisis, hungry for new ideas and ways to elevate all Utahns through putting boots on the ground in a impactful manner around connection and to develop data.
You can find more information on Project Empathy's Facebook Page.
