BRIGHAM CITY – Nancy Browne of Brigham City is holding fundraiser and dinner to raise awareness and money to help individuals wanting to leave the polygamy lifestyle. The event will be on March 25 at Utah State University-Brigham City Campus, 989 S. Main Street from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Holding Out HELP (Helping, Encouraging and Loving Polygamists) is a non-profit organization aiming to give refuge to those seeking to leave the polygamist culture.
Browne said she just happened on to a television show and it piqued her interest.
“I was just flabbergasted by what they said went on in the polygamist communities,” she said. “Something just hit me. It touched my heart, so I contacted them to see what I could do to help.”
Holding Out HELP (HOH) gives those that want help to abandon the polygamist lifestyle the care, support and resources required for them to be successful at building a new life.
“I know there are some in Box Elder County,” she said. “The biofuel company in Washakie was built and run by polygamists.”
Brown said she started getting into HOH five months ago and took a trip to their headquarters in Salt Lake City.
“They want to help anyone who approaches them and it’s not about politics or religion. It is helping people.”
“There are a lot of people that have a history of polygamy in their family lines,” Browne added. “Today, there are lot of young men that are kicked out of the community because they are competition to the fathers and the majority of them have never been to high school.”
The lifestyle is not just a Utah issue. There are enclaves of the fundamentalists in many, if not all, of the Western United States, with some in Canada and Mexico. There could be as many as 100,000 people who live the polygamist lifestyle.
It’s been an amazing experience for the former journalist. She said the response from merchants she approached about donating goods and services was overwhelming.
“The merchants I talked to about getting items for our silent auction were so generous,” Browne said. “I have 60 items. Some are packaged with something else to be a sold at the silent auction. I have resorts in Eden, Park City and St. George that donated. We have ski passes and restaurants in historic downtown Brigham City as well as a number of local historic merchants that donated things.”
Tonia Tewell, HOH’s executive director, accepted an invitation to speak, show a video and share some sobering statistics at the fundraiser.
“In 2021, 99 percent of clients experienced some type of abuse,” Tewell said. “Of those individuals, 45 percent were labor trafficked, 61 percent suffered sexual exploitation and 95 percent were physically abused.”
She said women leave with no assets, no marketable skills, very little education, no place to live and a house full of children who depend on them.
“They’ve also been taught people outside of polygamy will treat them with contempt and that those who leave will ultimately go to hell,” she said. “Many young girls also choose to leave when they are forced to marry an older uncle or cousin or are just tired of the abuse.”
There will be a lot to see and hear at this first-ever fundraiser to help people dealing with the multi-wife and mother culture.
This year’s emcee at the event will be Box Elder County School District Superintendent Steve Carlsen and there will be some great entertainment to go along with the catered meal.
Browne said she felt like she had to help in her own little way.
For more information, contact Nancy Browne at 435-767-8552 or Nancybrowne7@gmail.com.