Real Salt Lake recently joined forces with The Other Side Academy for a special volunteer event at one of the entity’s thrift boutique centers as part of the Club’s ongoing “RSL Family” Initiative. Representatives and members of RSL staff and players all convened at the store location in Salt Lake City for the occasion, which included meeting with students and staff, and providing manual and creative assistance and support.
Activities throughout the event involved warehouse assistance, including sorting through and arranging public donations, as well as store-related tasks of compiling and putting up appealing decorations and vignettes, with snacks and donuts also shared at the end to all volunteers.
Amongst the notable attendees was RSL Vice President of Community & Player Engagement Kyle Schroeder, who referenced the occasion as yet another pivotal step in the grand context of the Club’s long-formed family community initiative, created with the intention of strengthening the bonds between RSL employees and the community projects that matter most to them.
“The RSL Family Initiative was founded a few years ago, with numerous projects now, created to connect employees with community activations and communities that they’re passionate about to give back to, knowing that such passion in turn fuels commitment to make sure that any related projects are successful,” Schroeder explained.
“We knew that connecting our employees with community projects they feel most strongly about meant we would likely see a lot of success and more employee turnout and organizational engagement because once you can establish that connection point, people are going to want to follow that.”
Also in attendance was RSL Director of Food & Beverage Operations Tracy Cruz, duly recognized as the brains behind the partnership, and herself possessing a very personal connection to the project.
Far more than just a generic community service or engagement activity, the experience symbolized a deeper connection between RSL and The Other Side for a righteous cause which has also become increasingly intimate and important to the club’s staff.
“This project started with Tracy,” Schroeder further explained. “She came to us and we got connected to The Other Side, and the whole idea was subsequently borne as part of their holistic mission of fighting to solve chronic homelessness, incarceration, and addiction.”
“Tracy has a family connection to this as well so we all felt it was a great cause to step behind. There’s a need in the community to combat and find solutions to these issues, so this is a great organization to partner with, their donuts [and products] are equally phenomenal… and to be able to really tell the whole story is something we’re proud of.”
As the day excitedly went on, Cruz subsequently shed more light on the details of the timeline of the event and shared an emotional response of her personal ties to the project, involving an only sibling who she’d sadly lost a few years ago.
“The Other Side Donuts first approached me about coming to sell at our games,” an emotional Cruz shared.
“When they came to the initial meeting, they introduced us to the programs of The Other Side Academy and The Other Side Village, and it instantly touched my heart because I lost my brother, my only sibling, to addiction, and I've always wanted to find a way to give back, but it had been a bit overwhelming because there are so many organizations. But speaking with them and seeing how successful they are, the amazing people that they work with, and just how successful the program is, I instantly knew it was something I wanted to be involved in.”
Cruz’s passion and personal drive are crucial parts of what ultimately led RSL to partner with The Other Side Academy after they first approached, in what has surely proven a successful, impactful partnership up until this point.
The Other Side Academy is a non-profit organization that helps individuals struggling with chronic homelessness, addiction, and incarceration by offering a free, two-and-a-half-year residential program. RSL’s event with them during the recent international break was just one part of a larger, ongoing series of efforts to support their mission. Far from being merely a charity, the program represents a life-changing rehabilitation plan and pathway for those who take the bold step of participating.
“The Other Side Academy is a place for men and women who have struggled with addiction, homelessness, criminal histories, and some of these chronic issues. The program is completely free of charge, not costing a dime or even insurance, and here individuals have the opportunity to get their lives back,” Sierra Libutti, Marketing Manager at The Other Side Thrift Academy explained.
“It is a two-and-a-half-year long program, and while you're here you learn all the basics again of how to be honest, accountable, and setting boundaries. And hopefully, the ultimate goal at the end of your 30-month stay is helping you become a contributing member of society again.”
A place where individuals can rectify previous life errors and transgressions, and regain agency in their lives, the program provides not just a unique opportunity, but a home for participants in search of a second chance to get back on their feet. Through vocational training and education in essential areas like retail and moving services, peer counseling, mentoring/leadership training, and other transitional services, such participants are offered the chance to learn, rehabilitate, and rebuild their skills and confidence.
The impact of the collaboration was far-reaching as well, and its conclusion saw results made through assistance and support, networking, and awareness. For the students and volunteers alike, the experience went beyond just the physical act of sorting donations. It was about different groups of people all coming together as a community to engage in and create something compelling and positive.
“The contribution gives our students an opportunity of a lifetime to work side by side with the RSL team. It’s an out-of-this-world experience for these guys because they probably never thought they'd be standing side-by-side with anyone from RSL,” Libutti later shared.
“The helping hands have also been so important for us. The volunteers assisting us by coming in to help process donations and set up appealing vignettes for our windows to draw customers in have all been such a huge help. It’s all about community and us all working together.”
For Cruz, the impact of the event reflected the broader significance not only in working to honor her late brother but in also helping RSL take action against three pervasive societal issues - addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.
“Addiction is a really hard thing to fight, and I think they say that for all the residents who come to The Other Side Academy for various reasons, around 16 of them [their admissions] are due to incarceration, “ Cruz said.
“The Academy provides a free 30-month program for participants to build life skills and attitudes that help them break free from these cycles, and I wanted to assist in finding ways in which RSL could help fund them, so the thrift shop was kind of a no brainer for me… and this is a great cause to donate to and get behind,” Cruz finished.
“Another main goal is to raise awareness for what it is that we do and what it is that we offer,” Libuti added.
“Because we all know someone who is struggling one way or another, and this is a great opportunity for people to get their lives back. The partnership that we've had with RSL for the past little while has also been beneficial because you guys have been hosting clothing drives at your games for us where people can bring a bag of clothing and donate it on their way into the game, and that's been a huge help.”
This October event was just one of many in a long-term partnership and series of multiple events. Schroeder also confirmed that the RSL Family Initiative has more planned with The Other Side Academy, including a clothing drive scheduled for October 17-19. The Academy will also continue selling donuts at RSL home games, an arrangement that allows them to fund their initiatives whilst simultaneously raising awareness about their cause.
The future continues to look bright for this ongoing partnership, with both RSL and The Other Side Academy committed to making a lasting difference. And as both sides continue to persist in the spirit of partnership, camaraderie, and community development, the goal is for such combined efforts to have a positive ripple effect, helping individuals transform their lives, as well as strengthening the community as a whole.
