FRIENDS OF SWITCHPOINT INC

Switchpoint Community Resource Center has been in existence since 2014 and provides temporary shelter and support for those in poverty and the homeless in Washington County, Utah.

What is a switch point? A train naturally follows the path of a railroad track, but one simple device is used to redirect the train when needed. This mechanism is crucial for efficiently getting trains to their intended destinations, a feat nearly impossible otherwise. The name of this device is a switch point. A small degree of change for a train takes it in a whole new direction and just like when a train uses a switch point, people can go in a completely different direction with small changes with the assistance provided at Switchpoint.

Beyond food and shelter, Switchpoint Community Resource Center is a stepping-stone to independence for those experiencing homelessness, making poverty a temporary situation.

At the heart of Switchpoint Community Resource Center, where, at any given time, about 80 individuals, families and veterans are turning their lives around, receiving the community help they need all while getting love and acceptance to help them overcome their past. While searching for a place to call home, they live in a caring environment designed to build up and assist them on their journey to self-sufficiency.

Switchpoint Community Resource Center provides many opportunities for clients to volunteer in their community as well as develop job skills through their on-site emergency food pantry, nearby thrift store and doggy daycare, Bed ‘n’ Biscuits. Switchpoint believes that clients need to earn what they receive. Through volunteering at the shelter, food pantry, thrift store or Bed ‘n’ Biscuits, clients earn Switchbucks that they can accumulate during their stay and redeem for necessary items, such as dress clothes for interviews, basic hygiene items or tokens for use of the on-site laundry facilities.

Switchpoint is open 24/7 and provides individualized case management to assist clients to self-reliance. We collaborate with over 20 nonprofit partners and local government agencies to offer services on-site to those who visit the center.

We believe each individual has worth and value; change occurs when people are treated with respect and dignity, empowered with skills and resources to better their circumstance; every individual is a part of our community and can be free from harm in stable affordable housing, with self-esteem, hope and abilities restored, to thrive and contribute in society.

Homelessness exposes individuals and families to traumatic events which often aggravates their current circumstances. Homelessness challenges the ability to access needed resources and regain self-sufficiency. Children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of homelessness. Homelessness often interrupts schooling and the development of positive peer and mentoring relationships. Children experiencing homelessness frequently experience dangerous or unhealthy environments and may be more likely to experience homelessness as an adult. Communities also feel the impact of homelessness economically.

The motto of Switchpoint is “It Takes All Of Us” which couldn’t be more true. Without the surrounding community and volunteers willing to donate their time and means, Switchpoint would not be able to function nor would it be as successful. The core of Switchpoint’s work is the dream that one day families will no longer be struggling to make ends meet. That they will have the skills they need to be self-sufficient and thriving. By implementing the Switchpoint model of providing case management tools, community resources, education and job skill training, we can stop the cycle of poverty in Washington County. We can end homelessness for our community, one life at a time.