The Christian Center’s Native American Outreach to the Goshute Tribe

Goshute Tribe members who work with the Christian Center of Park City. Photo: Christian Center of Park City

PARK CITY, Utah — This Thanksgiving, the Christian Center of Park City (CCPC) is thankful to American Express and Ally Bank for their longstanding support of its Goshute Tribe Initiative. Because of their support, the CCPC continues expanding its programs and services to the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation. This community spans both Utah and Nevada, just south of Wendover.

For the last eight years, the CCPC developed a partnership and friendship with the Goshute Tribe. This year, based on the request from the Goshute’s Tribal Council, they continued providing the majority of the services they have been providing for the last several years. Additionally, they have expanded and added new services.

The partnership created a community garden that would produce nutritious, sustainable food and provide educational classes on gardening in the high desert, composting, and healthy eating.  CCPC organizes health clinics covering vision screenings, prescription glasses, medical evaluations, and diabetes consultations. “It has been a wonderful partnership,” writes the CCPC in a statement.

CCPC provides a monthly food pantry and cooking demonstrations, offers financial literacy training, and has taken the Goshute kids skiing in Park City. They also assist them and other low-income residents living in Wendover with how to sign up for healthcare benefits, food assistance, and child support, among other needs.

In the last few years, they have been able to provide:

• The creation of a community garden from scratch, providing the infrastructure, a solar-powered LC2000 pump station, 10,000 feet of drip tape, tubing cutters, sprinkler heads, communal compost bins, garden supplies and tools, and a large assortment of seeds each year
• The provision of educational classes on gardening in the high desert, composting, and healthy eating
• The organization of health clinics covering vision screenings, prescription glasses, medical evaluations, prescription consultations, and diabetes consultations
• The facilitation of yearly ski trips to Park City Mountain Resort for the children and families of the Tribe and helping to cover the costs of these activities, including food, clothing, tickets, and housing
• The distribution of healthy snacks to children of the Tribe each week throughout the school year, including summer
• The provision of a monthly mobile food pantry offering healthy, fresh foods including lean meat (chicken), fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, bread, and rice
• The purchase of computers for the students of Ibapah elementary school
• A partnership with the Wendover Resource Center (a community nonprofit comprising a food bank, thrift store, and senior center) to provide hygiene items and food
• The provision of financing to support a daily lunch program for Tribal Elders who might otherwise not have access to nutritious, hot meals
• The provision of Christmas presents and Easter baskets for each child

Donations may be made to the CCPC here.