Just over a year ago, Evoke Therapy Programs kicked off its new community outreach program called Finding Community, and next month the company will be celebrating its 10th such community service event.

The program is the brainchild of Kaysha Sorensen, who’s in Admissions and Outreach with Evoke. “When I interviewed with [owner] Rick Heizer for this job, I mentioned my passion for service and humanitarian work, and he said Evoke would absolutely be supportive of my starting something that focused on this. It really aligns with Evoke’s values,” she says. As Heizer himself said in a blog: “We are committed to being a conscientious company….This commitment includes contributing to our local and larger communities.”

Soon after she got her feet on the ground in her new role, Sorensen created a two-pronged program: one that offers service opportunities for Evoke staff to come together in the St. George community in which they live and work, and one that bring wilderness industry folks together at meetings and conferences in cities across the US to do a coordinated act of service for the community where the meeting/conference is held.

Since May of 2021, Finding Community has served in Provo, Park City, and St. George, UT; Asheville, NC; Tucson, AZ; Bend, OR, and Boise, ID. The people who’ve generously donated their time at these events have put together bags of food for hungry families and schoolchildren, sorted food in a foodbank, made hygiene kits for refugees and houseless people, put together art kits for children whose adoptions fell through, done trail clean ups, and assembled self-soothe kits for LGBTQ+ youth, among others.

“Finding Community has been a rewarding and successful program ever since we started it, not just for those communities we’ve served, but maybe even more so for all those participating in the service. The feedback we get tells us that most everyone walks away with more than they imagined. We know we can help make the world a better place, and serving others is one of the greatest ways to do that,” says Heizer. Sorensen echoes this: “I have found that there is absolute value and love in uniting a community into helping hands. We are an industry of helpers already. To do so collaboratively and with togetherness just made sense.” 

About Evoke Therapy Programs

Evoke Therapy Programs provides outdoor-based therapeutic programs for adolescents, young adults, and families, Intensive therapy programs for individuals, families, and couples, and an extensive roster of mental wellness coaches. Evoke is accredited by the AEE/OBH and is a NATSAP Research Designated Program. Evoke’s outdoor programs are based in Saint George, Utah. Evoke Therapy Intensives & Coaching are based in northern Utah.