Warm spirit of giving to shelters contagious

A spirit of doing "for the least of these my brethren" was contagious on Christmas Eve at emergency shelters in Salt Lake on Monday.

The first of a two-day Christmas celebration got under way at the Salt Lake City Mission with more than enough ham, yams, pudding and good cheer for everyone.

Those in need and those needing to give turned out for the event, coming by car and bus from across northern Utah to the Christian Life Center at 10th North and Redwood Road.

The banquet of food, games, prizes and giveaways — including new toys for children — is set to start all over again today at 8 a.m. and continues until 4:30. Everyone is welcome to today's events, and transportation is being provided by Lewis Brothers Stage Coach Co.

Philip Arena, mission director, said Jesus' teachings in the Bible on helping others seem to have struck a chord.

While more and more people are in need of help, there has been a near-equal increase in the number of people showing up the past few weeks willing to do a little more.

At the Road Home on Monday, there was a celebration of a different sort, but no less festive. Donation delivery and pick-up was the conclusion of a weeklong, radio-based annual fund-rasing event.

By mid-afternoon, the shelter had raised $591,000. Doing more for more is a given nowadays, said executive director Matt Minkevitch, noting that housing has become critical, particularly with Salt Lake running at a 0 percent vacancy rate.

"If people lose housing, it's really tough to find temporary housing and many are turning to the shelter," he said.

The shelter does its best to foster the spirit of Christmas — featuring on Monday a well-known figure of modern Christmas who knows a thing or two about giving and getting: Santa Claus.

At 3:15 p.m., it was snowing sideways outside the shelter, but inside, the Jolly Old Elf was getting what he wants for Christmas: hugs by the hundreds.

Those who somehow get along but go without are world-class huggers, Santa says, noting that a hug is the one gift that is as good to receive as it is to give. "And the very ones who have the least are time and again the most generous."