All Along the Wasatch

Mike chats with Clinical Director for Utah County Lisa Hansen & Certified Social Worker Stephanie Stevers . At Flourish Therapy, we are committed to expanding access to affordable, culturally competent, evidence-based behavioral and mental health services for LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families. Flourish Therapy is a clinical care program that provides individual, couples, family and group counseling for all age groups, including short- and long-term counseling, crisis intervention, parent intervention, and support services with a focus on quality care for LGBTQIA+ clients and their families.

www.FlourishTherapy.org

Mike chats with Education & Outreach Director Katie Newburn and Membership & Programs Director Holly Simonsen. FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake was founded in 1994. The mission of FRIENDS is to preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the Lake through education, research, advocacy and the arts. The long-term vision of FRIENDS is to achieve comprehensive watershed-based restoration and protection for the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

www.fogsl.org

Mike chats with Community Relations Supervisor Deb Jordan. ARUP Blood Services is a nonprofit collection center that is proud to be the sole blood provider to The Huntsman Cancer Institute and The University of Utah Health. ARUP Blood Services is a component of ARUP Laboratories, an enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. Children and adults undergoing bone marrow transplants or suffering from cancer, burns, trauma, surgery, or illness count on ARUP to have an ongoing supply of blood for their treatment.

www.UtahBlood.org

Mike chats with Chief Operating Officer Ryan Erickson. Kids On The Move provides a comprehensive range of services to families who have children with development delays, lifelong disabilities, and other special needs that impact families. Our core mission is to support the positive development of young children through empowering parents, and immersing them as partners in improving their own lives and the lives of their children. Programs include an Autism Center, Early Head Start, Early Intervention, Respite Care, Preschool & Child Care, and Family Support Services.

www.KOTM.org

Mike chats with Chief Executive Officer Karen McCandless & Chief Operating Officer (and CEO starting July 1st) Tom Hogan. Since 1967, our agency has stabilized people’s lives by meeting their basic critical needs during crises and offering long-term solutions to rebuild financial and social self-sufficiency. We proudly serve Utah, Wasatch, and Summit County in Utah. We are not only a food bank – we provide FOOD+MORE to our community, including housing, food, nutrition, education, and support services.

www.CommunityActionProvo.org 

Mike chats with Executive Director Elizabeth Rasmussen. We work to impact our election system, elevate the voice of Utah voters, and ensure that lawmakers represent the interests of the people above all. As a group of voters we Utahns are generally moderate/conservative, but some elements of our system favor extremism and result in leadership and legislation that don’t reflect who we are.  This is why voters need to continually refine our election system and remind elected leaders that ours is a government of the people and that their purpose is to represent our opinions and interests.

www.BetterBoundaries.org

Mike chats with Executive Director Paige Huff & Board Member Damon Talbot. Adults with serious mental illness in Salt Lake City deserve every opportunity to build self-confidence and self-esteem, reintegrate into their community, become independent and productive members of society and live happy, healthy lives. That’s why Alliance House exists to provide a supportive environment where adults with serious mental illness can rebuild their self-respect, dignity, and abilities through education, productive work, and meaningful relationships. We do this by helping Members complete educational goals, develop necessary work skills in order to return to productive employment in the community, and where needed, help Members find and secure affordable housing.

www.AllianceHouse.org

Mike chats with Education & Outreach Director Katie Newburn and Membership & Programs Director Holly Simonsen. FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake was founded in 1994. The mission of FRIENDS is to preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the Lake through education, research, advocacy and the arts. The long-term vision of FRIENDS is to achieve comprehensive watershed-based restoration and protection for the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

www.fogsl.org

Mike chats with President & Founding Director Rich Csenge and Secretary Cindy Von Halle. Amazing Earthfest is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Kanab, Utah, established in 2007 to produce an annual public festival celebrating National and State Parks, National Forests, Monuments and Public Lands of the Colorado Plateau. This year's festival is May 8th-11th in Kanab, UT. Our educational festival brings enjoyment and learning opportunities to residents and visitors while enhancing community and economic resilience in Kane County, Utah.

www.AmazingEarthfest.org

Mike chats with Executive Director Staci Duke, Director of Litigation at Utah Legal Services Jacob Kent, and Public Affairs Supervising Attorney at the Disability Law Center Nate Crippes. The mission of “and Justice for all” is to increase access to civil legal services for the disadvantaged and for individuals with disabilities in Utah by creating and sustaining resources to ensure that Utahns across the state have access to the legal system, regardless of income level, disability, age or minority status.

www.AndJusticeForAll.org

Mike chats with Founder & Executive Director Richelle Gruber, Veterinary Technician Paige Ludwig, and Volunteer Cat Adoption Advisor Nickolas Rodesch. Angel Paws Veterinary Services is Utah’s only veterinary clinic that focuses on providing medical care to homeless pets being cared for by shelters and nonprofit rescue groups.  This includes preventative services such as spaying and neutering, vaccinations and wellness visits, as well as treatment for illness or injuries.

www.AngelPawsUtah.org

Mike chats with Founder & Director Derryl Yeager. Shut Up and Dance is being performed April 2nd through the 5th at The Grand Theatre, 1575 South State in SLC. Odyssey Dance Theatre’s mission is to provide quality entertainment and artistic excellence in theatrical dance as a professional dance company; to provide employment for Utah’s talented dancers; to exercise and maintain fiscal responsibility and be debt free; and to make theatrical dance more accessible to a wide audience by utilizing current social themes and music, as well as creating and re-creating classical and full-length works that are exciting to all demographics.

www.OdysseyDance.com

Mike chats with Executive Director Brandon Harding & Co-Creator and Veteran Anthony Droz. At Veterans in the Wild, our mission is empowering veterans through nature by providing transformative wilderness expeditions that promote healing, resilience, and community. Through veterans wilderness trips, we aim to support veterans in their transition to civilian life, fostering physical and mental well-being, personal growth, and a sense of belonging. Our commitment is to honor their service by offering a sanctuary in nature where they can reconnect with themselves, build lasting camaraderie, and embrace new challenges in a supportive and restorative environment.  

www.VeteransInTheWild.org 

Mike chats with Executive Director Annie Bommer. The idea of a ski museum originated in 1989 when a group of enthusiasts led by Alan Engen recognized the need to honor the pioneers and athletes who had significantly contributed to winter sports in the Intermountain Region. Its location was chosen for its proximity to Ecker Hill and the 2002 Olympic Winter Games venues. The groundbreaking for the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center took place in 2000, and the building served as a media center during the 2002 Winter Games. The museum then moved into the Sports Center and opened to the public in 2002. The George Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum opened in 2005.  

www.EngenMuseum.org

Mike chats with President and CEO Ginette Bott. The Feed Utah Food Drive is March 15th. Residents across the state will receive door hangers during the week leading up to the food drive, and Utah Food Bank asks those able to support the effort to place nonperishable food donations outside their door by 9:00 am on Saturday, March 15. Founded in 1904, Utah Food Bank has operated under various names but has always remained true to our mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide. 415,000 Utahns, which equates to 1 in 8 individuals, are at risk of missing a meal today.

www.UtahFoodBank.org

Mike chats with Executive Director Paige Huff & Board Member Damon Talbot. Adults with serious mental illness in Salt Lake City deserve every opportunity to build self-confidence and self-esteem, reintegrate into their community, become independent and productive members of society and live happy, healthy lives. That’s why Alliance House exists to provide a supportive environment where adults with serious mental illness can rebuild their self-respect, dignity, and abilities through education, productive work, and meaningful relationships. We do this by helping Members complete educational goals, develop necessary work skills in order to return to productive employment in the community, and where needed, help Members find and secure affordable housing.

www.AllianceHouse.org

Mike chats with Festival Owner & Co-Director Marhsall Moore. The Zions Indie Film Fest is February 24th through March 1st at the SCERA Center in Orem. Zions Indie Film Fest (ZIFF) is a premiere presenter of cinematic stories from independent filmmakers around the world. Set alongside Utah’s spectacular Wasatch Mountains, ZIFF brings together a sophisticated and diverse audience of movie-goers, film industry leaders, movie critics, film students, government leadership and sponsors. Selected films will cover a wide range of trending topics that uplift and inspire, as well as simply entertain and provide a much-needed laugh.

www.ZionsIndieFilmFest.com

Mike chats with Executive Director Chauma Kee-Jensen & AIS Prep Director Kevin Sekaquaptewa. Established in 1981, we are one of the nation's longest-running American Indian scholarship non-profit organizations. We're dedicated to helping Native Americans have access to a quality education, while still preserving their culture and honoring their heritage. Our mission is to provide preparatory programs for youth and financial assistance for those in pursuit of a college degree. Join American Indian Services for our 21st Annual Scholarship Gala, Saturday, March 1st at The Grand America Hotel.  

www.AmericanIndianServices.org

Mike chats with Executive Director Carie Fanning & Program Director Keith Burns. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit aiming to end local hunger. We partner with food pantries across the Wasatch Front to provide free home delivery of food pantry items. This is especially beneficial for feeding low income families, immigrants, the disabled, the elderly, and those who lack reliable transportation. There are also many individuals who live far away from food pantries or work while food pantries are open. It is our mission to make sure these communities and each individual has sustainable access to high quality food. UCFR's Big Hearts Charity Bash is on Saturday, February 15th at 7:00 PM at Club House SLC.  

www.UtahCrisisFoodResponse.com

Mike chats with Program Development Director Abby Warr & KeyBank Utah Market President Drew Yergensen. People Helping People, Inc is a local grassroots 501c3 non-profit Employment Program dedicated to reducing the number of children living in poverty be helping low-income women, primarily single moms, reach an adequate income through successful employment. PHP helps families break the cycle of poverty by teaching low-income women how to reach their full potential in the workplace. People Helping People has officially expanded our reach to serve women in Tooele, Box Elder, & Cache counties thanks to a $75,000 expansion grant from Key Bank.

www.PHPUtah.org

Mike chats with Executive Director Kristen Floyd. Ability Inclusion Services enriches the lives of people with disabilities by actively providing community opportunities for independence and individual growth. We are enthusiastically committed to helping adults with disabilities create meaningful lives through personalized services that focus on individual enrichment and community inclusion. We continually focus on what ability is—a beautiful, affordable, inclusive, and accessible life!

www.AbilityIS.org

Mike chats with Executive Director Brandon Harding & Co-Creator and Veteran Anthony Droz. At Veterans in the Wild, our mission is empowering veterans through nature by providing transformative wilderness expeditions that promote healing, resilience, and community. Through veterans wilderness trips, we aim to support veterans in their transition to civilian life, fostering physical and mental well-being, personal growth, and a sense of belonging. Our commitment is to honor their service by offering a sanctuary in nature where they can reconnect with themselves, build lasting camaraderie, and embrace new challenges in a supportive and restorative environment.  

www.VeteransInTheWild.org 

Mike chats with Co-Owner Lindsey Armstrong. In September of 2020 the idea of Clementine Ranch started becoming a reality. Rob and Lindsey's goal was the ranch would be a place of compassion, life, and creativity—one that combines their love of animals, a vegan lifestyle, and music. The future of the ranch would not only include the animal sanctuary, but also an organic greenhouse and a state-of-the-art recording studio for bands to create their art in. Things starting moving much sooner than expected and on October 2, 2020 Lindsey and Rob made it public that they had taken over an existing animal sanctuary. Clementine Ranch was born.

www.ClementineRanch.org