About Us

Shelter the Homeless is a nonprofit organization with a goal to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring by providing emergency shelter coupled with case management and high-impact transformational interventions tailored to help those experiencing homelessness resolve their immediate crisis and rapidly return to stable housing. The Shelter the Homeless Board of Directors is a unique blend of engaged and well-informed community members from both the public and private sector, working together to support solutions aimed achieving that goal.

A Letter from the Board President

Our History

Staff

Laurie Hopkins

Executive Director

Laurie Hopkins

Laurie Hopkins serves as Executive Director of Shelter the Homeless and is the Vice Chair of the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. She has spent nearly 20 years in the non-profit sector avidly serving communities with a visionary, strategic, and people-oriented approach. Ms. Hopkins is committed to homeless advocacy and in creating systems and structures that supports the trajectory of individuals experiencing homelessness towards equitable, low-income housing.

Prior to joining the homeless services community, Ms. Hopkins served for five years as Executive Director of Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum where she completed a multi-year, multi-million dollar museum revitalization campaign. Ms. Hopkins also served as Managing Director for Sundance Institute, overseeing many critical areas of operations and administration for nine years and built a strong track record of nonprofit strategic and financial planning. Ms. Hopkins holds an M.A. in International Studies with an emphasis on Economics from John Hopkins University, and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Redlands in California. She has served on non-profit boards including the SLCo ZAP Operating Committee Executive Board, Public Arts advisory boards in the Park City area, and volunteers extensively for Swaner Nature Preserve, the Peace House, Lion’s Heart Teen Service, Girls Scouts of Utah, and local schools.

Lindsey Hector

Operations Manager | [email protected]

Lindsey Hector

Lindsey Hector, Operations Manager, joined the STH team in 2021 with 7 years of nonprofit experience in homeless services. Most recently she worked with Project Reality, where she served in administration, marketing and project management, and prior to that for The Road Home, as a case manager providing direct services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Lindsey has a M.A. in Public Administration and a B.A. in Sociology and Art History, all from the University of Utah.

Princess Gutierrez

Development Director | [email protected]

Princess Gutierrez

Princess Gutierrez is the Development Director of Shelter the Homeless. She has 8 years of professional experience in the government and nonprofit sector with a focus on fundraising, event planning and volunteer coordination. She earned her BS from Westminster College, majoring in Justice Studies, with a minor in Psychology. She earned a Masters in Public Administration with a Nonprofit emphasis and a Conflict Resolution Certificate from the University of Utah.

Bailey Peterson

Project Coordinator

Bailey Peterson

Bailey Peterson is the Project Coordinator for Shelter the Homeless. Prior to joining the team, she provided addiction treatment services to the clients of First Step House as Recovery Residence Manager. In her four years at First Step House, she helped to more than double the size of their sober living program allowing for more clients to receive necessary transitional housing services. She also spent time completing new client intakes in Admissions, worked as a housing case manager, and as direct support staff. She obtained her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Utah.

Shasta Galyon

Operations Coordinator

Shasta Galyon

Shasta Galyon is the Operations Coordinator at Shelter the Homeless. She brings with her four years of non-profit experience in addiction and recovery services. Prior to joining Shelter the Homeless, Shasta worked as both a Client Advocate and Peer Support Specialist providing direct client services at First Step House . Most recently, she worked in management to develop, restructure, and oversee a continuum of care program offered to clients who had completed treatment. Shasta is currently obtaining her degree at Salt Lake Community College.

Lillian Varas-Carter

Operations Coordinator

Lillian Varas-Carter

Lillian brings 21 years of nonprofit experience that supports her role as Operations Coordinator. Most recently working at the Utah Food Bank, Lillian coordinated with agencies across Utah bringing food to those in need. Prior to that, she gained experience at Catholic Community Services serving individuals experiencing homelessness and refugees, and gained extensive knowledge of facility maintenance.

A Letter from the Board President

Over the past few years, Utah has gained national attention for its efforts to help those who are experiencing homelessness. We have many dedicated service providers who work tirelessly with public and private organizations to provide a safe place to eat, sleep, and gain access to what they need to achieve stability in their lives. Despite these successes, more needs to be done. Even as efforts and funding have increased, demand for emergency shelter is at an unprecedented level. The strain this places on neighborhoods, law enforcement, public facilities, and service providers is unsustainable and must be addressed, both in the immediate and long term.

As President of Shelter the Homeless, I have been engaged in this effort for nearly three decades. Never before have we seen this level of demand for emergency shelter. At the same time, never before have we seen such good faith efforts to find solutions on behalf of government officials, community advocates, business leaders, faith-based organizations, and philanthropists. Our collective goal is to minimize homelessness in Utah. I believe we now have a plan in place to do that. The Board of Directors of Shelter the Homeless is committed to working with stakeholders toward measurably improving the lives of those in need while minimizing any negative impact on neighborhoods. I invite you to join us in these worthy efforts.

Sincerely,

Harris H. Simmons

Board President, Shelter the Homeless

Our History

Shelter the Homeless was created in 1988 to serve the public good through the alleviation of human suffering and foster economic well-being. To fulfill this mission, Shelter the Homeless purchased land and developed facilities where programs and services could be provided to aid homeless individuals to become self-sufficient. The first facility was a single community shelter located in downtown Salt Lake City, which was operated by Traveler’s Aid Society, now known as The Road Home. Over time, ownership expanded to include land and facilities in Midvale for a family shelter, as well as three permanent supportive housing complexes located in Salt Lake City – Palmer Court, Wendell Apartments, and The Magnolia which is scheduled to be completed in May 2021. Each of these facilities operates for the purpose of helping individuals in crisis achieve housing stabilization by pairing housing with case management and supportive services. Three Homeless Resource Centers were completed in 2019 which provides emergency shelter and supportive services for 700 men and women daily.

As Shelter the Homeless continues to evolve, we have identified the need to provide greater oversight and accountability of Utah’s homeless services delivery system and for the communities in which services are received. As part of a broad community coalition, Shelter the Homeless is working toward improved performance outcomes and creating a more data-driven decision making system for serving those experiencing homelessness and for the community as a whole. Together with our staff, board, and supporters, we commit ourselves to prevent and end homelessness in Utah.

Homeless Connections Hotline – 801-990-9999

The Hotline is for individuals experiencing homelessness to be connected with emergency shelter options and other helpful community resources.