Volunteers of America, Utah

10/11/2026

Utah lost one of its biggest hearts. Pamela Atkinson spent her life serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty, and she did it with a warmth and humility that touched everyone she met.

Growing up poor in England, she often went to bed hungry, and she never forgot that feeling. She was as comfortable sharing tea in an encampment along the Jordan River as she was advising governors and lawmakers. She delivered coats and meals at Christmas, sat at hospital bedsides, and made sure people overlooked by everyone else knew they were seen and loved.

Her name is on clinics, housing, and a trust fund that has helped thousands of Utahns. But her true legacy is the countless lives she touched, one person at a time.

“We are going to miss Pamela so much. For 40 years she was a dedicated part of the VOA Utah family. She joined us on outreach to check on her ‘homeless friends,’ advocated for the policies and resources that strengthened Utah’s homeless services system, and made ‘the ask’ at our fundraising events in a way that always made us smile. We believe she is resting in peace with God.” – Kathy Bray, VOA Utah President and CEO

Rest in peace, Pamela. Thank you for showing all of us what it means to love our neighbors.

10/01/2026

The Silver & Sandstone Silent Auction is officially open! Tap the link in our bio.

Not going to the gala next Thursday? You can join the fun now through October 8th and help support our mission. Browse and bid on dozens of one-of-a-kind getaways, dining experiences, and sports packages from home. You’ll find Utah Jazz tickets, ski packages from Ski Utah, Alta, and Solitude, hot springs, staycations at Asher Adams and the Monaco hotel, theater nights, and more.

Every winning bid supports individuals and families facing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges in Salt Lake County.

For our Live Auction and Paris Opportunity Drawing, you must be present at Silver & Sandstone to bid and win. Our Silent Auction is open to all now through the 8th.

A huge thank you to our generous donors: Utah Jazz, Utah Mammoth, Utah Symphony, Fleming’s Steakhouse, Utah Olympic Park, UMFA, STK Steakhouse, Hale Center Theatre, Wiseguys Comedy, Salt Lake Brewing Company, Kilby Block Party, Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, Ski Utah, Kendra Scott, Red Rock Brewery, Millcreek Coffee Roasters, Sugar House Distillery, Epic Brewing, The King’s English Bookshop, New World Distillery, Cactus and Tropicals, Red Butte Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Ballet West, Acrely Farms, Ritual Hot Yoga, Maven Strong, Mabe, Birthsmarter, Asher Adams, Hotel Monaco, Maple Grove Hot Springs, Mild 2 Wild River Rafting, Cable Mountain Lodge, ATV Jeep Adventure Tours, Rodizio Grill, Circus School, Pago, Art Haus, The Shop, and Scheels.

09/20/2026

Big thanks to our longtime, incredibly consistent volunteers UARC for whipping up a wonderful meal of stuffed shells, salad, and dessert for our youth at the YRC tonight.The kitchen smells amazing!

Did you know VOA Utah serves over 430,000 meals a year to our valley’s most vulnerable neighbors? We couldn’t do it without volunteers like this crew. We’ve got opportunities if you want to come solo, with a partner, or a group.

Tap that bio link, visit voaut.org, or email us at [email protected] to learn more about serving at the Youth Resource Center, Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center or Recovery on Redwood.

09/17/2026

Is Silver & Sandstone the best gala in town?

We think so.

Only a few tickets and tables left. Click the link in our bio to grab your spot at the funnest fundraiser around, October 8 at The Tower at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

One more question: Will there be amazing auction items to bid on? You’ll have to stay tuned for that answer…

09/16/2026

We’re Hiring!

Pop-Up Hiring Fair
Tomorrow, Thursday, Sep 17
12 PM to 4 PM

VOA Utah Administration Office
1875 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City

We have 25 open positions and we want to meet you.

Now hiring:
• Recovery Assistant
• Behavioral Health Aide
• Case Manager
• Peer Support and more

Walk-ins welcome. Bring a resume if you have one, but it’s not required.
Come talk with our team and take the first step toward a career that makes a difference.

09/11/2026

Every June, Brian Garrett and Scott Pulley open their home for their annual Pride Brunch. This year’s event was their 13th, bringing together close to 200 guests to celebrate Pride and support our community.

Last week, they stopped by our administration office with a check for over $15,000 from this year’s brunch, part of more than $75,000 raised to support the Youth Resource Center. The funds will support all youth at the YRC, where on average 30 to 40 percent of the young people we serve identify as LGBTQ+. The YRC offers a safe space for all to receive help with emergency needs like shelter and meals along with assistance building long-term stability through housing, employment, mental and physical health, addiction, legal and other services.  

Thank you, Brian, Scott, and everyone who shows up year after year to give back. Your community’s generosity makes a big difference for the youth we serve.

VOA Utah creates safe spaces for everybody in our our community in need of addiction, mental health, homeless and outreach programs. Join us by volunteering, donating, or running your own fundraiser or drive! Visit voaut.org, DM us or send an email to [email protected]

09/08/2026

Meet Isa, one of our case managers at the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center.

Four years ago, she started as an advocate at GEK. Three months in, she found her calling in case management, and hasn’t looked back.

Every person we serve has access to a dedicated case manager like Isa, someone in their corner for the big moments and the small ones. That could mean coordinating medical care, therapy, transportation to appointments, or something as simple as creating an email account so they can apply for housing. The goal is always the same: stabilization, housing, and a path forward.

Isa’s biggest takeaway? 

“Homelessness can happen to anybody. People stay here that you would never think would be here. Many of our women are over sixty, and it’s their first time in a shelter.”

The work is hard. It’s also, in her words, fun. She laughs with her clients all the time, and gets to watch people who deserve so much, finally receive the help they need.

VOA Utah is always looking for compassionate, dedicated people like Isabell to join our team. If this sounds like the kind of work that would fuel you, we’d love to hear from you. 

Click the link in our bio or visit voaut.org

08/28/2026

This month we had 12 fantastic women join us through Kristin Andrus’ 12 Months of Family Giving. VOA Utah was honored to be the August partner, with a focus on substance abuse awareness.

Last week, this group came out to Recovery on Redwood and served lunch to our men’s and women’s detox programs. They asked great questions and had wonderful interactions with the clients we care for who are in the first phase of their recovery journey with us.

And they’re not stopping there. The group is organizing a blanket drive for our facilities, since blankets are something our clients always need.

Our volunteer meal service numbers typically drop off during the summer and early fall, so if you or a group would like to help serve our clients at Recovery on Redwood, the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center, or the Youth Resource Center, click the link in our bio. The first step is creating an account on our volunteer website (two waivers are required), and then you can view and sign up for opportunities that work best for your schedule.

Tap the link in our bio or visit voaut.org/volunteer

08/13/2026

Recovery doesn’t stop at housing or treatment. At VOA Utah, our THRIVE* program is the next step, helping people find and keep meaningful jobs that support sustainable independence. Work is treatment, too.

THRIVE runs on partnership, and we’re building a steering committee that meets quarterly to help guide it. We’re looking for local employers, Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, family members, and community members who believe in the power of work to invest their time and expertise. If you want to help shape how people in our community find their way back to meaningful employment, we’d love to have you at the table.

Interested? Click here to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWhBFN_W4PLjkhp-I1g-1UStHzjwYtw8QK7nRECQ5ZiT46Tg/viewform

Our next meeting is:

August 19th from 1 to 2:30 PM
Recovery on Redwood Campus
1875 S Redwood Road, Salt Lake City

*THRIVE - Transformative Help in Reintegrating individuals through Vocational Employment

08/07/2026