Executive Director of New Hope Crisis Center in Brigham City Penny Evans is retiring, and Megan Talamantez will assume her duties on Friday April 1.
BRIGHAM CITY – New Hope Crisis Center is making some changes this month. Executive Director Penny Evans is retiring and Megan Talamantez will take over in her absence.
Evans has served victims of domestic violence in Box Elder County for 23 years.
“We have seen an increase in domestic violence over the years, but we have seen more in the past two years due to COVID,” she said. “We are licensed to house 18 people in our shelter, but we do use hotels when we run out of room.”
The Brigham City-based crisis center is funded using grants and private donations to finance the operation.
“The people in Box Elder County have been good to us over the years,” she said. “It is a good community.”
“I started in 1999 and was over the shelter for a few years then the executive director for 13 years,” Evans said. “Now I get to focus on my kids and grandkids.”
She said the work they do is rewarding and she can’t count the number of people they have helped over the years, but she said she has learned to leave work at work when she goes home.
“We have helped a lot of people over the years,” she said. “We probably serve about 1,000 people a year.”
New Hope is housed in an old church once used by students of the Indian School. There is a computer room and children’s room used for children to play and have fun in during a time of crisis.
Talamantez came to New Hope for an internship six years ago before graduating from Utah State University. She said she is honored to continue serving Box Elder County, her home for the past 20 years.
The crisis center has a good working relationship with other shelters in the state.
“I’m excited to serve in this new capacity and continue to do want I love and enjoy,” Talamantez said. “I think Penny has made it such a wonderful place and I don’t plan to make any changes.”
For over 30 years New Hope Crisis Center has offered services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence and other crimes against women or children. They support all people regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, marital status, national origin or disability.