Community members gathered Thursday at the Dixie Convention Center for Switchpoint Community Resource Center's annual Gathering for Good luncheon, where the nonprofit highlighted its work addressing homelessness, expanding affordable housing and helping people move from crisis toward stability.
The Sept. 17 event brought together more than 450 community members and supporters. While a final fundraising total will not be available until later, Switchpoint Chief Implementation Officer Zachary Almaguer told St. George News the event was one of the organization’s largest fundraisers to date.
“It takes all of us, and today we saw that in action,” Almaguer said. “The community really turned out.”
Before the luncheon began, attendees could visit a marketplace showcasing different components of Switchpoint’s work and ways the community can support its mission, including Switchpoint Boutique thrift store, Switchpoint Coffee, volunteer opportunities and items that support the organization’s programs.
David Toole opened the luncheon with a performance from “Les Misérables,” made possible through Tuacahn Center for the Arts, while Michael “Mikey” Foley, a Planet 105.1 radio host, served as emcee.
“A bed’s important, a meal’s important, a shower is important, but that’s not the destination,” Switchpoint founder and CEO Carol Hallowell said during the event. “They’re just the first steps towards home.”
Addressing the housing gap
The event highlighted one of Switchpoint’s most recent accomplishments: the completion of Red Hills, a 110-unit permanent supportive housing development in St. George.
A video presented during the luncheon featured residents discussing the impact of rising housing costs and the stability that comes with having a permanent place to live.
“Housing costs have gone up, and incomes have not gone at the same level,” Hallowell said in the video. “Our crisis has become that people who had never been homeless prior are now facing homelessness because they can’t afford it anymore.”
The video noted a 57% increase in people experiencing homelessness for the first time because they could no longer afford housing.
Switchpoint’s permanent housing model provides residents with a fixed rental price, helping protect them from rent increases that can force people out of their homes. The housing is paired with case management and other support services intended to help residents move beyond simply having a place to sleep.
“These people deserve to be able to have dignity and pay their own rent,” Hallowell said. “In fact, they want to pay their own rent. People are not looking, that I’ve experienced, for a free ride. They just haven’t found something that fits into their budget.”
Almaguer said the organization has seen more than 30% annual increases in both senior and veteran homelessness over the past two years.
“Homelessness does not skip the people who spent their lives giving back, and everyone deserves a place to land,” Almaguer said.
‘Bring him home’
The theme of home continued throughout the luncheon, inspired by Toole’s opening performance from “Les Misérables.”
“People who may have once had a home, people who have had a family, a job, a dream and a plan for their lives, and then something happens,” Hallowell said. “A job was lost, or a relationship ended or a crisis ended everything.”
Hallowell said homelessness can result from circumstances accumulating until a person can no longer carry the weight.
“Suddenly home is gone, and not just the house,” Hallowell said. “The feeling of safety is gone. The feeling of belonging is gone, and that feeling that tomorrow is going to be better is gone.”
Hallowell said compassion means looking beyond a person’s circumstances and recognizing the individual. For Switchpoint, she said that means going beyond providing a bed or temporary shelter to helping people find stability, rebuild relationships and regain confidence in their future.
Breaking the cycle
Switchpoint also highlighted its Teen Living Center in Layton, a 16-bed facility in Northern Utah for youth ages 16 to 18 experiencing homelessness. Since 2024, 35 teens have completed the program, with participants moving on to stable housing, postsecondary education or other opportunities.
Adrienne Jones, executive director of the Teen Living Center, said the program provides structure, academic support and a sense of belonging.
“The biggest support that they needed was to realize that there are people that still see them and love them and value them, and that they matter,” Jones said.
Hallowell said the program demonstrates how early intervention can help prevent homelessness from becoming a cycle.
Looking ahead
While Gathering for Good celebrated Switchpoint’s accomplishments, the organization also outlined several projects in the works. Switchpoint is working on 76 additional housing units in Salt Lake City for seniors and veterans and is seeking funding for additional affordable housing in Washington County.
The organization is also planning a new thrift store on Dixie Drive and is seeking a low-income housing tax credit that could help fund another 80 housing units in Salt Lake City. Almaguer said they hope to build 1,000 housing units across Utah over the next year, with several hundred potentially in St. George.
Almaguer said the event was also intended to show residents that addressing homelessness is not solely the responsibility of one organization. Everyone has something to contribute, whether through donations, volunteering, professional skills or other forms of support.
“More than anything, I hope people leave understanding that homelessness in our community is solvable, and that they are part of the solution,” he said. “Stability is something we build together.”
More information about Switchpoint, including ways to donate or volunteer, is available at switchpoint.org.