- Switchpoint opened a new thrift store in Layton to aid homeless youth.
- Proceeds support various programs including a teen living center in Layton.
- Layton's mayor and Utah's first lady both praised the initiative's impact on vulnerable youth.
LAYTON — A new thrift store is expected to generate proceeds to support youth experiencing homelessness, as well as a variety of other programs across the state that address poverty.
Switchpoint CEO Carol Hollowell said the organization's latest exchange center, which opened in Layton on Wednesday, came together within a matter of months. The new store will primarily benefit the nonprofit's nearby teen living center, which provides a stable home for homeless youth while they finish school.
"It took us about three months to get it open from start to finish," she said. "We were able to pull a lot of our inventory from our other thrift stores."
Switchpoint, an organization dedicated to helping Utah's homeless with various services and resources, has nearly 30 "social enterprises" across the state, ranging from thrift stores, coffee shops, child care facilities, gardens and pet day cares.
The Layton exchange center, located at 860 N. Fairfield Road, joins Switchpoint's two other thrift stores in St. George and Tooele. The sites rely on public donations; not only do the stores raise funds to support the nonprofit's various programs across Utah, but they also provide work opportunities for teens and adults experiencing homelessness.
For many teens in the Switchpoint program, the thrift stores and other Switchpoint-managed businesses are their first jobs, Hollowell said.
"(It's) teaching them good work habits, how to be a good employee, but also giving them some independence, because nobody likes to live on handout," she said.
The 16-bed Switchpoint Teen Living Center in Layton opened in 2024 and was developed in partnership with Davis County to help unhoused students within the school district.
Jodi Lunt, former foundation director of the Davis Education Foundation, said she saw firsthand how fast a young person's future can be reshaped when they have stability, support, and someone who refuses to give up on them. She was recently named development director of Switchpoint and said she looks forward to continuing to look for ways to support youth in poverty.
"Now at Switchpoint, I have the opportunity to help grow and sustain that work statewide. The Layton Exchange is not just a store; it is a direct investment in the futures of teens who deserve every chance to thrive," Lunt said in a statement.
Layton Mayor Joy Petro said she became a proponent of Switchpoint's mission after learning that more than 1,000 youth in Davis County were experiencing housing insecurity in 2024.
"I mean, that shocked me, and I thought something's got to be done," she said.
Petro said she's excited to support the organization's efforts in Layton and encourages community members to do the same.
"I hope that all of you will continue to contribute in any type of donations possible, whether it's funding or whether it's articles (of clothes) for these kids to resell or just support in other ways. And especially when you tie it back into education and how valuable it is for us to take care of that next generation," she said.
During Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, Utah's first lady, Abby Cox, shared fond memories of visiting her grandparents in Davis County and the impact her grandmother had on children in the community during her time as an educator.
"We do need to be able to reach out to the most vulnerable kiddos in our state, and that's what we're doing here — and that's what Switchpoint is all about," she said.
