Before the June 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating the facility, some 6% to 10% of people taking part in activities at other Encircle facilities in Provo, Salt Lake City and St. George came from Wasatch County. Some 2% to 5% came from Summit County.

“These youth can now access Encircle’s life-affirming services much closer to home,” said Jordan Sgro, the Encircle executive director. Encircle facilities serve as gathering spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth to meet and socialize. They also offer therapy and support services.

Next comes Ogden, where a facility is slowly taking shape at 2548 Washington Blvd. Groundbreaking took place more than two years ago, on March 25, 2021, and the originally envisioned completion date, October 2021, has long passed.

Indeed, though scaffolding currently surrounds the incomplete building, Sgro indicated that movement is afoot, though she didn’t supply many details. Lack of money has apparently delayed the Ogden plans. “We are continuing to raise funds for our Ogden location and hope to have more updates soon,” she said.

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

At the same time, Encircle officials are looking beyond Ogden, to development of an Encircle facility further north in Cache County. “We are always trying to focus on communities where Encircle services are most needed. We are currently focused on Ogden as our next location and are continuing to raise funds for our location in Logan,” she said.

Encircle first launched in Provo in 2017 followed by facilities in Salt Lake City in 2019 and St. George in 2020. Use has been strong, with the number of people served at the varied facilities up 76% in 2022 compared to 2021.

“We see more than 3,500 individuals per month across all our locations,” Sgro said.

For Pride Month — celebrated each June — Encircle has hosted and taken part in numerous activities meant to support the LGBTQ+ community.

“Our biggest event by far was our Heber home opening,” Sgro said. The sort of support evident at the group’s varied events, though, should occur throughout the year, she went on, “not only in the month of June.”

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

Editor’s note: Due to miscommunication, the quotes about Encircle’s plans, supplied via email, were attributed to the wrong representative. The story has been updated to properly attribute them.