SWAMIs Spend a Day at The Road Home

DOWNTOWN SLC -- On December 22nd, members of the Race Swami swim club spent a day volunteering at The Road Home, a social services organization located on the western edge of downtown Salt Lake City. The Road Home is a private non-profit agency that assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County. Their mission is to help people step out of homelessness and back into the community.

Led by Race Swami team parent Melanie Zamora, who serves as Director of Housing Programs at The Road Home, the Swamis spent the first part of their day tending to bagging up new clothes, toys and gifts at Candy Cane Corner, a holiday store that provides a dignified and empowering opportunity for low-income families and individuals who are participating in programs at the YWCA of Salt Lake, The Road Home, and Volunteers of America, Utah to select new holiday gifts for their families.

Swamis picked out gifts for boys and girls ranging in ages from 6 months to 14 years old. Isabella Zamora, age 11, described her strategy in picking out meaningful gifts. "I just decided I would pick out stuff based on what I think kids my age--particularly girls--would like. It made it easy to decide with all these choices," she pointed out. "I felt like I might be responsible in putting a smile on another little girl's face on Christmas morning. I hope so, anyway."

Other Swamis described the feeling they got when they realized they were helping families out during the holiday season. "When we first got here I felt like this was going to be a lot of work," Katie Lee, age 13, said. "But then I realized that these gifts were for kids whose families might really be struggling right now. I'm so glad there is a program like this---so all kids can experience the joys of receiving a gift during the holidays."

"There really is more to Christmas than receiving lots of presents," Swami team president Leslie Motley added. "So when our kids come down and take a tour of the Candy Cane Corner and understand why we're doing what we're doing... the lightbulb just goes on. They realize that not all families are in a position of wealth and buying whatever they want for their kids. By giving of their time they are giving of the Christmas spirit. We like that our kids understand this and that they can truly make a difference."

After bagging up ten bags of awesome gifts, the Swamis made their way back to The Road Home shelter two blocks away. Then they took a tour of the facility with Melanie Zamora. "I just wanted our kids to see that it's not a place where someone just checks into a shelter and never leaves," Ms. Zamora said. "We stress the return of families to independent living as quickly as possible. We provide programs and services that help. The fact is, this model has proven to be a practical means to ending and preventing family homelessness for over 20 years. As a community, we are learning more and more about homelessness. Sharing knowledge and the impacts of our work is important."

Race Swami vows to continue working with The Road Home throughout the year for a number of occasions. "Helping our the neediest doesn't just happen during the holiday season," Isabella said. "We can help every day of the year."