Religious statuary sought for garden at homeless center

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Donations are being sought to turn this area of the Weigand Homeless Resource Center into a garden with religious statues.

SALT LAKE CITY — Two small cement pads separated by wrought-iron fencing, a diminutive vegetable garden plot, a couple of stretches of grass and a few shrubs comprise the northeastern corner of the Weigand Homeless Resource Center’s lot. A statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child  watches over the area, which Monica Rich envisions as one day being a quiet place with flowers where the Weigand Center clients can find peace and hope.

The Weigand Center is a day shelter for homeless people that offers not only a place to get out of the weather, but also showers, case management, a computer lab and other services. They serve an average of 450 people per day.

The garden, which was started a couple of years ago, “doesn’t produce enough vegetables to make an impact on what we do here,” said Rich, emergency assistance/volunteer coordinator of Catholic Community Services of Utah, which runs the Weigand Center.

Therefore, to better use the space, she would like to see the area landscaped in a way that will let them move activities such as art classes outdoors when the weather is good. The area also could be used for the tai chi and yoga classes that are taught at the Weigand Center.

Rich is asking for donations of design expertise, material, labor and money to “create a peaceful and beautiful space for our clients,” she said in an email.

In addition, she would like statues of saints who encountered difficulty in their lives.

“I think if the clients learn a little about them, they can find some hope,” she said in an interview.  

Having such a space “would be something to walk through to feel the presence of God,” said Lee McCashland, a former Weigand Center client who now has a job and his own place to live. He returns to the center to visit friends, he said.

“CCS always helped me out,” McCashland said. He added that St. Vincent de Paul is one of his heroes, and he would like to learn more about the patron saint of the CCS dining hall, which is adjacent to the Weigand Center.

For information about the project, or to donate items or expertise, contact Monica Rich, mrich@ccsutah.org or 801-428-1366.