Centenary United Methodist Church wins the 2025 Golden Celery Trophy

Seventeen congregations participated in the Golden Celery Trophy Food Drive this year and they collectively donated 19,983.8 pounds. We are so grateful to the hundreds of people who contributed. We are giving away food so fast this year that I can guarantee that non of it will go to waste.

 

Yesterday the trophy was presented to one congregation but a math error discovered today makes it clear that the congregation that donated the most food per person was a different congregation-- Centenary United Methodist Church. I am very sorry for the mistake and for the general delay in getting results to everyone this year. Our bookkeeper is on maternity leave and I am recovering from surgery so I should have known to slow down before announcing results.

 

Next year we will be taking steps to make sure we got the totals in an accurate way earlier in the month. I will be happy to share with you if you are curious.

 

Here are the total pounds per person donated by the top three congregations this year:

  1. Centenary United Methodist Church-- 71.2 pounds per person,
  2. First Congregational Church-- 65.3 pounds per person, and,
  3. First United Methodist Church-- 64.5 pounds per person.

 

It is very rare to have one congregation donate over 60 pounds per person. I am pretty sure that there has never been a year where three congregations did so.

 

This year we have fun certificates for every congregation that participated in the food drive because we know how much work it takes to participate in a food drive. We are hoping to be able to present those certificates to each congregation in person sometime in the next month.

Read, sign and share our sign-on letter to the Utah Homeless Services Board

FACE Hunger and Homelessness is circulating the following sign-on letter to be submitted to the members of the Utah Homeless Services Board on September 10 in anticipation of their meeting on September 12. Clergy, lay people, and other concerned citizens are all invited to read the letter and sign it, using the following form, by September 9, 2025 at noon.
READ AND SIGN LETTER

Text of the letter

 

September 10, 2025

 

re:  Funding for deeply affordable housing to meet homeless service system gaps

 

Dear Utah Homeless Services Board Members: 

 

We are writing to you as clergy and lay people from a variety of faith traditions, and other concerned citizens, to ask you to prepare a proposal to fund the creation of deeply affordable housing for seniors and families with children to fill gaps in the current homeless services system and help our state move toward a prevention-centered model for reducing homelessness.

 

On July 29, 2025 Governor Cox, the President of the Utah Senate and the Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives sent a joint letter to the Homeless Services Board challenging Board Members to identify gaps in the existing homeless services system and develop proposals for filling those gaps by the end of this month.  Every gap in the homeless services system would be smaller if Utah had more deeply affordable housing—particularly for seniors and families with children who are both suffering from homelessness in unprecedented ways.  That is why we request you include a serious, multi-year, funding proposal for Utah’s Deeply Affordable Housing Fund in the list of suggestions you are preparing for the Governor and legislative leaders.

 

Thank you accepting public comment.  We would be happy to meet with you to discuss ideas for innovative approaches to preventing senior and family homelessness and how funding for the Deeply Affordable Housing Fund could help Utah to adopt those approaches.

 

 

Sincerely, 

 
READ AND SIGN LETTER

Why you should come to the Poverty Summit

On the morning of September 6 Crossroads Urban Center will be holding its annual Poverty Summit at at Hilltop United Methodist Church in Sandy. Highlights for the summit will include:

  • A keynote address about how Medicaid cuts may impact Salt Lake County by Salt Lake County Council Member Suzanne Harrison.
  • A panel discussion about how Utah can reduce SNAP benefit theft featuring Gina Cornia, from Utahns Against Hunger, Representative Tyler Clancy, from the Utah House of Representatives, Shantelle Roberts, from the Utah Department of Workforce Services, Tiffany Blair, from the Otherside Village, and Lieutenant Chad Jenson from the Utah State Bureau of Investigation.
  • A panel discussion why housing is the biggest gap in Utah's homeless services system and why it should be the top priority in efforts to improve that system featuring Tara Rollins from the Utah Housing Coalition, Representative Carol Spackman Moss, from the Utah House of Representatives, and Senator Nate Blouin from the Utah Senate, and,
  • Presentation of the annual Hellraiser Award to one of Utah's fiercest champions for people who depend on Medicaid to access basic healthcare, Stephanie Burdick.

 

In short, the summit really is going to be a fun and important event.

Downtown Food Pantry:  347 South 400 East. Salt Lake City, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. For more information call 801-364-7765.

 

Services Available: Food Bags or Boxes • Baby Formula • Diapers • Soap, Toothpaste & Other Hygiene Products • Tampons & Pads • UTA Day Passes • Prescription Assistance • Gasoline vouchers • Utility Shut-Off Prevention Assistance • Vouchers for Free Clothing at our Thrift Store

Westside Food Pantry:  1358 West Indiana Avenue, Salt Lake City, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. To learn more about our services or how you can volunteer or donate food call 801-935-4079

 

Services Available:   Food Bags or Boxes • Baby Formula • Diapers • Soap, Toothpaste & Other Hygiene Products • Tampons & Pads • Vouchers for Free Clothing at our Thrift Store. 

Thrift Store:  1385 West Indiana Avenue, Salt Lake City, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Call 801-359-8837 for more information.



Services Available:   Free clothing with voucher from one of our food pantries or a community partner. Discount price on used clothing and household items. 

Crossroads Urban Center | 347 South 400 East | Salt Lake City, UT 84111 US

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