Project Description

Small donation, huge impact

How many things can make a big difference.

As John Winder opens the back of his parents’ SUV, sacks of tiny toys tumble onto the Fourth Street Clinic parking lot. Hundreds of donated toys – from stuffed animals, fidget spinners and Star Wars TIE Fighters – all collected for homeless youth. Many young patients of the clinic come in for immunizations, in addition to much-needed medical care. John wanted to do something for these children, and so he worked to gather all the toys he could.

“Lots of homeless kids don’t have anything, and I wanted to do something small for them,” John says between breaths. He continues handing bags and boxes of the trinkets to staff at Fourth Street Clinic, all collected for his Eagle Scout project.

John, 13, is a member of Scout Troop 343;  he realizes the large impact of little kindnesses. The last few weekends he spent distributing fliers and gathering donations of toys from friends and neighbors. John says he put his whole troop to work.

“There are lots of good people out there willing to help,” John, a Student Body Officer of his middle school, says with a smile. He and his troop collected over 600 toys; Jeff Daniel, Pediatric Nurse at Fourth Street Clinic, welcomes the small donation of lots of little gifts.

small donation immunizations utah fourth street clinic nonprofit

Jeff Daniel, Pediatric RN, gives David, 16, a flu shot before the upcoming flu season. Hundreds of children come to Fourth Street Clinic each year for preventive medical care.

“All we usually have for kids who get immunized are stickers; we need something for these kids because they don’t have anything they can call their own.” As the primary family care provider in the clinic, Daniel does a lot of vaccinations. In 2016, Fourth Street Clinic provided over 1,200 immunizations and vaccines – most of them flu shots – to homeless Utahns.

In addition to the care he provides at Fourth Street Clinic, Jeff Daniel also goes to The Road Home Family Shelter in Midvale once a week. There, he gives flu shots and other vaccines to families experiencing homelessness.

There are many opportunities to give, however insignificant it may seem, to people experiencing homelessness. John, the (now) Eagle Scout, saw a tiny gift as an opportunity to make a big difference.

You can give, too

With colder temperatures approaching, there is a great need of winter clothing for our homeless friends and neighbors. Items like gloves, hats, winter coats, socks and warm shoes can mean saving lives. Other in-kind donations such as hygiene kits are items that make a big difference.

Head to fourthstreetclinic.org/in-kind-donation for a full list of in-kind donation needs.

You can also visit fourthstreetclinic.org/donate to give a small donation and provide quality health care to men, women and children who are homeless. And during Give One Raise Two December 1-10, any monetary donation will be doubled thanks to our generous sponsors!