Launching Shine SLC Nonprofit Youth Outreach Organization

Why we created Shine SLC. Who it's for. What Is Our Mission.

We are a youth outreach organization. We do quarterly community projects that benefit struggling youth. We love teaming up with other nonprofit organizations to  assist in their efforts in community improvement services, as well as doing fun projects of our own that improve the lives of the youth we serve. 

Our purpose is to UPLIFT, EMPOWER and EDIFY youth especially young women. 

The mission is to provide opportunities for youth from difficult backgrounds to develop confidence in their ability to achieve their dreams through educational opportunities and retreat events. To organize donors and local businesses to coordinate donations for youth.

Founder Rachel Marie

As a homeless youth herself, Rachel was always looking for a way to get "hooked up" with a deal, especially to get food. Some of the resources she craved most where; shoes, food, hair care, and eventually home furnishings. She left home in a pair of slippers and that was what she wore on her feet for months.

She was always hungry and relied primarily on friends to help feed her. With no income of her own, she ate about once a day when friends would offer her to tag along with them to grab a bite at fast food places. You could say the dollar menu at Wendy's was a lifesaver!

She has always had beautiful long hair. It is part of her identity. When times where really tough and she was at her lowest, she stopped showering. During this time her hair could often be found in a messy bun. Because of this, when she began to put her life back in order and obtained a place to live, it was important to Rachel to have her hair look nice. She didn't know how to do many fancy hairdo's, even though she loved playing with hair. One of the things she craved most was having the nurturing soft touch of a woman who would play with or do her hair and help her to feel loved and all put together.

In her small apartment she was able to obtain, Rachel worked hard to maintain an upbeat outlook on life. It wasn't always easy, but she noticed it was harder when her space was dark, empty or too messy. She begged the landlord to get an apartment on the upper floor so the lighting would be better than in the basement apartments. She didn't have much money to work with so she got what she could, to make her home a place that would reflect how she wanted to feel. She got a small purple blanket from the Dollar Store that she used on her bed that was in the living room, it doubled as the couch so she draped that blanket to make it look cute. She also got some fake flowers and put a cluster on each end of the blinds at the top of the window and draped a scarf across the center of the window. She got a few dishes, silverware, shower curtain and a towel from Family Dollar.

She worked to keep things picked up because she knew she wanted to feel peace in her home and when it was messy she felt overwhelmed. Not only by the mess but by all that she had on her plate. She was working three jobs to pay for that apartment and also attending High School. She didn't know where she would come up with time if she fell behind on cleaning, so the only way to avoid falling apart was to keep up on it.

Because these resources were what she craved most, Rachel wanted to create opportunities for other youth to have some of these made available to them. Shine SLC has events and outreach opportunities to offer in each of these areas. Her vision is that each of the individuals who come in contact  with Shine SLC will come to know and act upon the individual worth that they possess, that they will gain the confidence to reach for the stars and one day see their dreams come true.#ShineSLC #dreamscometrue