Salt Lake City
2012 Director’s Community Leadership Awards
| Salt Lake City |
Pamela Atkinson |
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The Salt Lake City Division is pleased to honor Pamela Atkinson, a community leader and advocate for the homeless, as a recipient of the 2012 Director’s Community Leadership Award. For the past 25 years, Ms. Atkinson has offered hope and a helping hand to thousands of Utah’s homeless, low-income, and at-risk youth and adults. As part of a long-term effort to end chronic homelessness, the state established the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund (PAHTF), which is funded through contributions from Utah residents on state income tax forms. For more than 20 years, the PAHTF has financially supported temporary shelters, transitional housing, day centers, and other programs for the less fortunate. To enhance financial support of Ms. Atkinson’s efforts, Salt Lake City installed special parking meters in 2011. The meters were placed in downtown locations as a way to collect donations from visitors and fund various homeless services. Through the years, Ms. Atkinson has worked with policymakers, law enforcement officials, and nonprofit organizations in an effort to enhance understanding of homelessness in Utah. She also has helped to establish charitable medical clinics and has created a number of Utah programs to aid children in need. In 2002, the Utah State Legislature unanimously passed a resolution to honor Ms. Atkinson for her tireless volunteer efforts. |