Encircle, the nonprofit that serves LGBTQ youth in Provo, is opening a new site in Salt Lake City.
Stephanie Larson is Encircle’s executive director. She says over 50 youth visit their house in Provo every day.
Larson says Encircle tries to bridge the gap between religiously conservative families and their kids who are LGBTQ.
"We have tried to come into Provo and be an asset to the community. And, rather than bump up against our community, we have tried to tailor our programs so that they fit the needs of that conservative group. We hope to do the same in Salt Lake," she says.
Many of their programs are geared towards suicide prevention and supporting young people who are at a heightened risk of attempting suicide. At Encircle, young adults attend classes, therapy or support groups.
Larson says a quarter of the kids are coming from outside Utah County, as far away as Ogden.
Their new house is three times the size of the one in Provo. They hope to open it by early summer.
