“A train naturally follows the path of a railroad track, but one simple device is used to redirect them 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.”
– from the Switchpoint Community Resource Center website.
The Switchpoint Community Resource Center has been serving needy families in Washington County for less than a year, operating out of the cramped space at 948 North 1300 West in St George, Utah. Despite a growing demand from the increasing population of Washington County, Switchpoint has been forced to make do with the resources at hand. However, now the SwitchPoint Community Resource Center is preparing to dedicate a significantly larger center which has been under construction in the field behind the current location.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the ribbon cutting at the new Switchpoint Community Resource Center will mark a new era for the center as they begin operating out of a 4,500 square-foot food pantry, a palatial space when compared to the previous 280 square-foot pantry. The new space will have room for a large walk-in freezer and refrigerator and will also have a significant technology upgrade, using bar codes and reader cards that will help to monitor product usage.
Carol Hollowell, executive director of Switchpoint Community Resource Center, says the new pantry will help in more ways than just providing more food.
“If we have a bigger pantry, we can avoid a lot of food waste because we weren’t able to store it,” Hollowell said. “People would line up, and we couldn’t keep it refrigerated long enough. Our freezer-refrigerator space is larger than our old pantry.”
Hollowell also says that the new pantry will be of particular benefit to the older clients of Switchpoint.
“Our wonderful pantry allows Switchpoint to truly meet the needs of hungry families in St George,” Hollowell said. “Many of these families are seniors who come to Switchpoint for food so they can spend their limited incomes on medicine. Everyone is welcome, and now more food can be served to more families.”
Hollowell continued to say having to wait in line at the previous pantry was not a pleasant experience.
“It was hot,” she said. “It’s just miserable to stand in line for an hour and a half. Right now we would have no reason to make anyone wait in line because we have a big enough space that many people can shop at one time.”
Switchpoint expects to serve approximately 2,500 families per month. The new pantry will not only facilitate greater food storage but will also have washing machines and dryers for use as well.
“We had just two washers and three dryers to do 80 people’s laundry. You’re running seven days a week, having to have volunteers do it or else it would be chaos,” Hollowell said. “Because we were able to move up in space, we were able to put in eight washers and eight dryers, and they can do their own laundry. It eases a huge burden.”
The goals of Switchpoint Community Resource Center go beyond just providing food. Many of the center’s clients are homeless, and one of Switchpoint’s missions is to assist in making a positive change in their lives. According to the center’s website, “The homeless face many obstacles to become functional members of society. They are like a train stuck on a track without opportunities to change the course and direction of their lives. The Switchpoint Community Resource Center was established by The City of St. George to provide the support and services needed to get the homeless back on track, all in one central location. Switchpoint holds the promise of a fresh start and ample opportunity to improve one’s circumstances.”
The new Switchpoint Center has 16 rooms—each with a shower, sink and toilet—and is capable of housing up to 64 people. The center also has a kitchen, laundry room, multi-purpose room, the food pantry, plus a training center with 50 computers.
Switchpoint works with clients to identify the causes of poverty through professional caseworkers and then assists individuals to gain their General Education Degrees. They also help people looking for work by building resumes and computer skills. In addition, the center helps facilitate connections with the Utah State Department of Workforce Services to assist in employment searches.
For more information on Switchpoint Community Resource Center, call (435) 627-4663 or visit Switchpoint’s website at http://www.switchpointcrc.org/switchpoint_home.php.
