CORONAVIRUS: STRONGER TOGETHER
KSL’s Quarters For Christmas Raising Money For Local Children In Need
Dec 11, 2020, 11:26 AM | Updated: 11:54 am
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – KSL’s Quarters for Christmas is in full swing, with more than $170,000 donated so far.
The donated money provides coats and shoes for children in need, and 100% of the proceeds go back to the local community. KSL covers all the administrative fees associated with the program.
It’s the 55th year of the program. Because of the pandemic, families need more help than they have in many years.
Food insecurity is on the rise, and that’s where James Yapias and the Salt Lake Education Foundation step in.
“While the requests are coming in by families that need support, we’re also seeing not a lot of people are giving,” Yapias said.
That’s why the foundation is depending on KSL’s Quarters for Christmas.
“Over 60,000 families we have helped in Salt Lake City,” Yapias said.
With school shut down in the Salt Lake School District, many students have been left without a daily source of meals. The pantries have been extremely busy, and the foundation is working to help in other areas, too.
Yapias said the Salt Lake Education Foundation has been helping not only with food, but also with extra support when it comes to paying heat and utility bills.
“Quarters for Christmas has made a tremendous impact in the way we provide resources for our students,” he said. “In many ways it has become a lifeline.”
The tens of thousands of dollars that local organizations receive are spent right here in Utah.
“We just want to make sure we are meeting their primary needs,” said Michelle Flynn, executive director for The Road Home. “Right off the get-go it’s probably a warm coat and good pair of shoes and a warm meal in their bellies. We are able to do that with Quarters for Christmas so that everybody has a pair of shoes that fits them.”
The Road Home is one the Quarters for Christmas recipients. They use the money to get shoes, food and other supplies for those experiencing homelessness.
The clothing situation in Utah can get complicated at times, but that’s especially true for people who live in the elements.
Casey Owens has worked at Crossroads Thrift Store for 30 years.
“You know, seeing kids come in here with sandals on in the middle of winter, and being able to give them the means to go get a pair of boots, knowing that it makes that big of a difference to a lot of people,” she said. “You know, so much that we take for granted, you know, is something that’s pretty major for another person.”
Seeing how a piece of clothing can change someone’s mood, and more importantly their way of life, is why Owens enjoys her job.
Crossroads Thrift Store is open for anyone who needs a helping hand. When the thrift store needs the help, KSL’s Quarters for Christmas is there.
Work boots and men’s pants are the top requested items. A donation made to the Quarters for Christmas campaign get Crossroads the means to supply people with $25 gift cards for Footlocker.
“(You) can’t change the world,” Owens said, “but you can sure change your own little corner of it.”
