Charene Okerlund loves her work: selling sweet, colorful and creative pastries at The Other Side Donuts.
The clean neon colors of the donut shop are a bright spot in the industrialized neighborhood of 760 S. Redwood Road.
“This is my first job,” said Okerlund, while spinning some cotton candy to top off a troll-themed donut.
Little touches are standard at The Other Side, where the chocolate dirt cup donut is topped with gummy worms, and the Tang sugar bomb is finished with candy orange slices.
The piña colada-themed donut has an umbrella, a cherry, and coconut sprinkles over the pineapple-coconut frosting. The spicy-sweet strawberry habanero is topped with a sliced strawberry.
It’s hard to imagine a donut flavor The Other Side doesn’t offer — from peanut butter and jelly to pink lemonade to maple honey bacon bars.
Prices range from $2 for the most popular donuts and up to $6.50 for the more elaborate creations.
The establishment also carries Cloud Nine coffee and has a gift shop with T-shirts, caps, backpacks, mini-coloring books, pencils and crafts. There are some handmade items.
Many of the employees at The Other Side were formerly homeless. One hundred percent of the profits from the donut shop go to The Other Side Village, a nonprofit with the mission “to permanently change the lives of the chronically homeless.”
That makes Okerlund’s job more than just sweet.
“What I love most is that now I have my own tiny house,” Okerlund said. “I had been homeless for 10 years before this.”
The store reflects the upbeat, positive philosophy of The Other Side Village. The message on their takeout boxes reads: “Donut stop believing in your sweet dreams.”
To qualify for the job, Okerlund had to complete training at The Other Side Academy.
“We learned it isn’t your past that is important — it’s where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow that counts,” said Okerlund.
“I learned how to talk to people,” she added. “I didn’t realize how I was coming across.”
The program takes six months to a year to complete.
The Other Side has three sides — like a triangle: the academy where people learn the skills they need to hold down a job and live in their own homes, the donut shops and thrift stores that generate money and provide employment, and the villages of tiny houses for those who were once homeless.
The village’s philosophy is that housing alone will never solve homelessness—what people need is “deeply affordable” housing, personal growth and social connection. The village sees homelessness as “a catastrophic loss of family.”
Okerlund agrees.
“The thing I like best about my new home is that my family can visit,” she said.
Once a family is approved, they can come and go as they please.
The Other Side Village is a win-win-win-win proposition. Okerlund gets a home and the support she needs to hold down a job. Salt Lake City gets a way to constructively address its homelessness crisis and a village of new, thoughtfully designed tiny houses. The neighborhood gets delicious donuts and coffee for a reasonable price.
For more information:
- The Other Side Village SLC
- The Other Side Donuts
- 760 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Hours:
- Monday–Thursday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Friday–Saturday: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Closed Sundays
