Giving back to those in need
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The Salt Lake Mount Olympus Utah Stake Relief Society teamed up with several local organizations to furnish Palmer Court, an apartment complex designed to help homeless individuals and families attain affordable and appropriate long-term housing. The complex is a recently refurbished motel.
Using a $35,000 donation from the Utah Families Foundation, the stake Relief Society presidency purchased more than 10,000 items to furnish the kitchens and bathrooms of the 201-apartment facility. Stake and community members gathered Feb. 12 at the Salt Lake Mount Olympus Stake Center to sort supplies into boxes, then load them onto a truck donated by Gene England, a member of the Salt Lake Mount Olympus 1st Ward and co-owner of C. R. England Trucking Company.
"The response for this project was unbelievable," Salt Lake Mount Olympus Stake President Gary Crocker said. "Twice as many people showed up to help than we expected."
The stake Relief Society's president, Carol Nixon, was also pleased with the response from the community.
"The support from the community was wonderful," Sister Nixon said. "A lot of people from other faiths and organizations around the community showed up to help."
Sister Nixon and her counselors were inspired to volunteer for the project after President Crocker asked them to plan an event that would serve the community.
"Our stake Relief Society was asked by President Crocker to plan an initiative wherein we could reach out and serve the greater community," said Sister Nixon. "As a result, we began a program that has been implemented by all our ward Relief Societies, and its title was inspired by President Dieter Uchtdorf's 'Lift Where You Stand' message from the October general priesthood meeting. We call our program 'Lift Where You Stand on Mount Olympus.' "
Palmer Court property manager Karen Grenko was impressed with the outpouring of help from the Salt Lake Mount Olympus Stake.
"The amount of support the LDS Church has given us has been amazing. We are so grateful for everything they have done," Grenko said.
Palmer Court, which received much of its funding through donations from the Church, will open in March.
