91. ‘Turtle Shelter Project’ and Bringing Warmth and Hope to Homeless Individuals with Handmade and High Tech Vests (with Founder and Executive Director, Jen Spencer)

Trigger warning: this episode mentions suicide

Jen Spencer had spent 20 years as a meth addict and was living on the streets of Ogden, Utah during a particularly cold and bitter winter. She remembers the feeling of cold completely overwhelmed her, zapping her energy and even her will to live. During a particularly dark and broken moment, she decided to reach out to God in prayer. The answer she received during that prayer helped her to start a rehab program. Only three months into her recovery she learned about the technology of foam clothing and instantly knew this was something that could help many in the homeless population.

It took a few years, but she was finally able to find affordable ways to use this technology and design a vest that could be given to homeless individuals. That was the beginning of her nonprofit, the ‘Turtle Shelter Project.’ Now through organized service events they are able to create and distribute over 1500 vests each year, but as Jen says it’s not really about the numbers. It’s about helping people be able to make the choice to stay one more day so they can find hope, healing, and recovery.

Listen to this episode to hear Jen share her story, her relationship with God, and how she knows He has helped direct her every step of the way.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Turtle Shelter Project Website

Turtle Shelter Project Instagram

Turtle Shelter Project Facebook

Follow the podcast on social media:

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Do Something More Facebook

Do Something More YouTube

Transcript

Melissa: This episode of the podcast is not only highlighting an amazing nonprofit like I usually do,

but it is also a beautiful story of redemption.

Jen Spencer, the founder and executive director of the Turtle Shelter Project,

shares her own personal journey on this episode of going from 20 years of being homeless and a meth addict to to now helping those who are aware she has once been.

So give it a listen to hear her story, hear some more of the details of her nonprofit, and also how her relationship with God is what has guided and helped her all along the way.

Welcome to the Do Something More podcast. The show all about service where we highlight the helpers who inspire us all to do something more. If you're passionate about nonprofits or looking for simple ways to volunteer and give back to the causes that matter to you, this is the podcast for you.

I'm your host, Melissa Draper. Stick around and I'll show you all the many ways anyone can truly make a difference in our world today.

Welcome to this episode of the podcast. Today I have the founder and executive director of the Turtle Shelter Project, Jen Spencer. And these Turtle shelters are basically vests that they make to help the homeless population, weather, cold circumstances and things like that.

But there's a lot more into it that we're going to get into and we'll first start by introducing Jen. Jen, welcome to the podcast.

Jen: Thank you so much for having me. Happy to be here.

Melissa: It's great to have you. Well, let's get into. Jen, I know you have a really big backstory and inspiration behind what has led to what you are doing now with your nonprofit.

So I'd love to start off just a little bit by hearing about you, your story and then we'll get into the Turtle Shelter Project.

Jen: Okay, thank you. So my name is Jen Spencer and I am a daughter of God. One of the things that helped me that kind of led to creating the nonprofit has to do with my past experience of being a meth addict and homeless.

Off and on for 20 years, I battled this addiction. I was homeless for several years. It wasn't all at the same time. It was, you know, periods here and there over a 20 year span.

And my addiction and my mental health and my depression was just really debilitating. And I think, you know, using drugs was definitely a way of like coping with, with that self medicating.

I guess the longest period of time though that I was homeless was for about a year. And mainly I was. I grew up in Utah, Mountain Green, Utah, but I was homeless on the streets of ogden for that 20 year span.

So being homeless in the summer in Utah is really hot and it's really uncomfortable, but.

Melissa: Right.

Jen: Being homeless in the cold is a very different kind of unbearable. There's like, we get some pretty harsh winters here. There's something about the bitter cold, in combination with the shame and the prison I was trapped in through my addiction, that just.

It took my will to live so fast. The winter of 2014 was down to single digits that year. I just remember it being so cold I couldn't even think or function.

And it. It. It took my will to live. It was definitely the cold and the death of a very close friend that brought me to my knees and made me realize I couldn't go on living this life anymore.

Through a series of events that I firmly believe God orchestrated in my life, I got to a point where I decided to. To pray and ask God for help one day.

Well, first, I had decided that right before I said this prayer, though, I had decided that I was going to end my life.

And I. I had a plan. I hadn't told anybody, but randomly, somebody just sent me this song, text me this song by David Archuleta. And it was the song called Glorious.

And if you haven't heard it, go listen to it because it is amazing. But that song, actually, I believe, saved my life because he talked about how we all have times in our lives where we feel aimless and we can't see where we sit or where we belong or what our part is in things.

And if life is this beautiful symphony, we all have parts that we contribute to make that melody the masterpiece that it is. And if you haven't figured out what your part is yet, just keep listening and you'll figure it out.

I was kind of paraphrasing that a little bit, but hearing that song, I translated that message into, Jen, just stay on the planet a little bit longer. You haven't figured out where your part is yet.

So I decided to give this prayer thing a chance. I was living in my truck. I had a storage unit, and I drove my truck over to my storage unit and I pulled around back and I just turned off the truck and I just turned and imagined that God was just sitting in the seat next to me.

And I started telling him all the things that I had done wrong and all these things I was feeling so ashamed about and all these things that were going wrong in my life and apologizing to him that I couldn't be who he had intended me to be because I just wasn't capable of being a good Person doing things that I knew he wanted me to do.

I just felt like I was just broken and was apologizing to him for all of this, that he gave me this life and this body, and all I did was wreck it.

And I was hoping if I kind of laid out all the reasons why I was wanting to kill myself, I was hoping he would agree with me and say, yeah, you know, it's obviously, you're never going to change.

You've done nothing right in 38 years. Like, I think you should kill yourself. But he didn't.

And, you know, I was just crying so hard like I couldn't. Like, my face was swollen. It was so unrecognizable. And it's not all over me anyway. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, just got startled.

I'm thinking someone was going to come around the corner and catch me looking like a total idiot, bawling my head off, talking to no one.

And I was worried that they would laugh at me.

And that just felt too, too hard to handle. So I started just, like, hearing this voice in my head say, jen, come on,

you knew this wasn't going to work.

God does not want to hear from you. You ruin every single thing that you touch.

Just end it. And so I went to go start my truck, and I just stopped and I just turned to the seat next to me where I imagined God was sitting.

And I just asked him if he was real and if he knew my name and if he knew all these things that I had struggled with and all these things that I'd done wrong.

And I. I wanted to know if he was concerned with me.

And I had never felt an answer to a prayer before that moment. But he ran to me so fast. I felt this hand squeeze my heart. I felt these chills throughout my body, just like I feel right now.

I've never been able to share this story without feeling it the exact same way, and I'm so grateful for that. But I felt myself lifted into his hand. And these words just came to my mind that said, jen, do you know how long I've been waiting for you to just give me a chance to help you?

I know that you're dealing with a lot and going through a lot, but whatever it is you've got to face and whatever it is you have to fix, if you hold on to me, we can face it together.

And so that moment was so pivotal for me, because before that, I had always believed in God, but I didn't believe he would ever help me I didn't believe he really cared about me because I felt so broken and worthless.

And so I just asked God if he would just give me the desire to change.

Because I just had this epiphany. If I could just shift all the energy and all the time I spent into chasing ways to destroy myself, and if I could want him with that same intensity or want to do good things with that same intensity that I had to do drugs and hurt myself,

then my mind just was blown because I realized I could have a life I never fathomed to be possible, but I had to want it more than anything and be willing to do whatever it took to get there.

And it turns out that really was the key. Three months later, I had gotten myself into a rehab program and I went to this emergency preparedness conference while I was in rehab.

And I. And I learned about this stuff called foam clothing technology. And they were saying, if you had access to this clothing, you could stay warm even if you get wet, no matter how cold it is.

And I was just like,

no way, that's crazy. Like, three months ago, I'm living in, like one of the coldest winters I had ever experienced. It was so brutal and, and it was miserable. And I just, I just started thinking to myself, like, man, this is amazing.

I'd never heard of technology like this. And I was going to go buy a bunch and give them to all my friends that were still out there. And then I heard how much it cost, and they wanted $780 for a full head to toe suit made out of this stuff.

They wanted $800 for sleeping bag. And when I heard this, yeah, the technology seemed totally amazing and almost too good to be true, but the price just broke my heart, right?

Because of that price, only rich people can afford it. And then they buy it and they take it home and they set it on a shelf and they wait for their emergency,

which may or may not ever even happen.

And what was really hurting my heart was I was thinking about people that are on the streets. When I was homeless, I had a lot of resources available to me.

I had income, I had a vehicle, I had a storage unit. Like, I. I had places I could go even. But it was my shame that kind of kept me, you know, off living by myself.

But, right. I started thinking to myself, like, homeless people, they're not waiting for their emergency, they're in it right now. And so many of them have no hope of getting out of it.

You know, I thought if I. If homelessness broke me even with all the resources I had available to me. What's it doing to somebody who has absolutely nothing and absolutely no one?

Melissa: Right.

Jen: And so I started, like, thinking. I got obsessed with this idea about learning how to make this stuff because I thought this technology is too cool to not be available to people who really, really need it.

And. And I thought about, you know, so many people on the streets don't have any hope of getting out of it. So many haven't had a moment with God yet or.

Or something happen in their life that has completely transformed them and helped give them hope that they could change. And so I just got obsessed with this idea to learn how to make it and do whatever I could to help people stay on the planet just one more day so that they can figure out what their part is.

And so, yeah, that's. That's basically where the idea of the turtle shelter project started.

Melissa: Yeah, the very beginnings.

Jen: Yeah. And I remember saying a prayer right after hearing this presentation, and I. And I was feeling really sad and heartbroken for God. And I. I said this prayer, and I've never thought to pray this way, but I asked God how he was doing today, and I started telling him how sad I was that,

you know, how heartbroken I was feeling for him, that he had to,

you know, deal with people who are mean to him and mad at him and blame him for things that are going wrong in their life. And I was so sad that he had to watch all this fighting in the world.

And I was sad that, like, cool technology, like foam clothing exists, but no one who needs it can really can afford it. And so I just wanted to know what I could do to help God have a better day and to show him how grateful I was that he rescued me when I didn't deserve it.

And I got a pretty profound answer about an hour later. And. And it was, you know, not audibly, but these words came to my mind, like, jen, I think it's so adorable that you care about my broken heart, but please remember who I am.

I am the healer of all things that are broken, and I specialize in hearts. And the thing that is breaking my heart is not how anyone is treating me, but it is the way that my children are treating each other.

And you have this idea to do something to help people who are now who are living where you once were, and do something to help them stay alive and alleviate their suffering.

And it's a good idea. Run with it. Go to the tops of organizations that help homeless people. Tell everyone who will listen about this Technology and that it exists and know that so many people are going to think you're crazy.

And that's okay. This idea that you have is so much bigger than you, but it is bigger than me. And if you keep me as your boss, I promise to send you every helping hand, every resource, every dollar you need in order to make this a reality.

Melissa: Well, it's amazing to me that you just found out about that just three months into your recovery.

Jen: Right. Yeah. Well, and it's. To me, it's such a testament of, like, realizing that every single thing we go through,

especially the things that are the most miserable, are teaching us and preparing us for better things. Had I not experienced the misery of surviving in the bitter cold when I would have learned about this technology, I would have thought, that's cool, and moved right on.

But I had such a. You know, I had also known seven people in one year that had frozen to death,

you know, 20 years prior to this. And so to me, it was just really personal because I knew how painful and miserable living in the cold is, but also how deadly it is for people that are.

That are living in the elements with no where moisture and cold combined equals fatalities.

Melissa: Right. Yeah. It was your experiences that. That wasn't just cool information.

Jen: Right.

Melissa: It was something that you knew you could use and people needed. So. So how did you go from there? How did you take that idea or the knowledge? Now you have the knowledge of what was available and possible.

I'm sure. I know it was probably a process, but what were some of the steps after that?

Jen: Well, it. It really took two years. Around two years before I really finally got it that. That it finally got going. But it's kind of interesting. A few days after I said that prayer, somebody texted me and told me that the inventor of the technology was going to be doing a presentation in the building where my storage unit was.

There was an office building that's attached to it. Yeah, but it. And like, right where I had said my prayer. And like,

literally then the next tweet over was where this. The inventor was doing his presentation. His name's Jim Phillips. He wasn't the one selling the foam suits for ridiculous amount of money.

He was the inventor of the technology, and his idea kind of got stolen from him and somebody wanted to make a million dollars out of it. But anyway, he loved.

I got to. I went to this presentation and picked his brain. He loved what I wanted to do. He thought it was really awesome. And he gave me all the information I needed to know how to build These correctly in a way that's simple, but also does the most good with the least amount of work.

I guess I decided to.

Well, by the time. So I even bought the full head to toe suit so that I could test it out, see how effective it really was. Oh, and it was.

I mean, I. I broke the ice on a stream in my neighborhood and laid down in it, and it was like, I've never been that cold in my whole life.

And I used to tell people it was the dumbest idea I ever had. And then one of my friends said, you know, Jen, I don't think it was the dumbest thing you've ever done.

I mean, you did use crystal meth for 20 years. I mean,

I'm pretty sure.

So anyway, it was good feedback, but getting out of the water, like, was what was mind blowing because I literally warmed up within 45 seconds and walked around for two hours totally soaking wet.

But I wasn't cold. And that's not something you can fake when it's 10 degrees outside.

So it took some time before it finally got off the ground. But I met a lady, Angela Roth. She helped me design the vest and actually get the organization started.

So we basically started the Turtle shelter project in 2017.

And we started off just, you know, we, we really felt inspired to make it a. A vest. So it's designed to keep your core warm, because the, the when your core is warm, the rest of you is warm longer.

And then there were a few things that we also felt really inspired to do, and that was to make this a service project. Our motto is every life has value, which is really easy to understand because every life does matter, especially to God and to us.

But every person can serve is the other part of our motto. And one of the things we felt so strongly about was that this, I mean, this project was super cool.

There's so many people in the world that want to help and don't know how. Like Angela, when she, when I first told her about the idea, she was like. She designed costumes for dancers, you know, that was like her skill set.

And when I told her about my idea, like, she had been praying for an opportunity to serve God and his children in a way that would really help people. And so it was kind of like full circle, like.

Melissa: Right. And I love, I love that she got to use her skills that, that I often think those opportunities pop up with our natural abilities and skills.

Jen: Sure. Well, and sewing the dying art, it really is. But there's so many people who, who love to sew and, and this is a way that they can sew but save lives at the same time.

Like it?

Melissa: Absolutely.

Jen: I have a friend who just, she loves our project because she can sit and watch TV guilt free because she knows that she's sewing the entire time and so many lives are going to be saved because of this effort.

She's. You know what I mean? And so it's like, it's awesome. It's just awesome.

Melissa: So explain just a little bit how these vests look just for someone that's, that's curious. I know they could probably go on your Instagram account and see that. See one.

Jen: Yeah. And I recommend doing that actually because they're kind of hard to describe, but. Oh, and I, and I forgot to mention that we got our cost for materials, the raw materials, down to $30.

Melissa: Wow. From you with the people you've worked with, it's $30 to provide a vest. And then volunteers sew and put them together.

Jen: Yeah. Which really is the cheapest way to keep somebody from freezing to death that I've ever heard of is. You know what I mean? So. Sorry, I forgot what your question.

Melissa: Oh, just, just kind of what they look like. You've added pockets to them. You've done little things with them.

Jen: Yeah. So basically it's a vest. It has two slits on the side so that, you know, there's movability. Like two vents on the very sides on the bottom. And then they have.

We've added a collar to it that's a foam insulated collar to keep your neck warm and, and your face, because it can even cover your face. The vests are a little bit longer, so they go just past your torso.

Melissa: Right.

Jen: Like mid thigh is where you know, we want them to. Or upper thigh.

Melissa: They're keeping that whole core warm.

Jen: Yeah, yeah. And they're stuffed with foam. It's a half inch piece of like it's a half inch thick. And the outer layer is like a rip stop nylon. It's not waterproof, but it is water resistant.

It has to be breathable though, because. But it does cut the wind, which makes it really nice. And then the inner layer is a polyester mesh. And the reason it needs to be breathable is because when people layer up, they begin to sweat.

And we, we, we tell people to wear these vests closer to their skin because it's their skin that activates the heater.

And so when they're layered up and they start sweating, this technology so cool that you're going to sweat but you're not going to be cold and your other layers aren't going to get wet because the vest absorbs all the wetness.

So it's not necessarily that wet's coming from the outside in. It's the inside out that we're worried about. Because when you're wet. Yeah, yeah.

Melissa: You've really developed and thought through these all the way.

Jen: Yeah.

Melissa: How do you go about distributing them? What's your process there?

Jen: Distributing them is the dessert of the entire project. It truly is the best part. So I work pretty closely with groups that do outreach and help, like other organizations that serve meals or whatever.

And so I'm always talking to them to know where they're running into people. But we go directly to the people. I am a firm believer that God cares so much about the One, and so do we.

And so we will find where people are camping. I'm always on the lookout for, you know, camps or areas where people are congregating, and I will go directly to them.

We bring, you know, a team of people with us and we, we set up a table and we, we explain to each person how to wear it properly. We have them remove their layers and put it like, because it's got to be the right fit for it to work properly.

And so a lot of people don't want to take their jacket off when it's freezing cold out, but we go out when it's cold by design. Because I tell them, hey, you're just going to hate me for like 30 seconds.

As soon as you zip this up, you're going to feel immediately the heater starting. And so we, we try to get them to their lowest layer. And because the vest has to fit a little bit snug for it to work properly.

If it's too big, cold air is just going to get in. It's not going to do what it's intended to do.

Melissa: Right. And so it's a really personal process you're going through.

Jen: It is, but it's important because each person needs to know how much they are loved. We, we really want people to feel. And, and this is one thing we stress to them.

We want them to feel like it is a hug from God and a hug from their community. We've, we've even had people break down and cry when they realize that these vests were made by hand for them by people who don't even know them.

Melissa: Do you have any personal stories? I'm sure it might be hard to choose one of individuals you've worked with as you handed them out.

Jen: One of My very favorite stories. Well, there's actually two, but one of my very favorite stories was this lady named Connie that we found in Ogden. I didn't have very many vests to hand out that year because it was.

It. We. We had a whole year where we couldn't do much because of COVID We did have a few, and. And I found this lady, and I just happened to have a.

You know, it was like an extra large vest that fit her, and so I gave it to her and told her how to use it properly. And then a few weeks later, I got some more vests made, and I.

And I came back to this place and was going to hand out some more, and I saw somebody wearing her vest, and I was like,

did you. You know, like, where did you get that vest? Because I knew it was hers because she was the only one I had given a vest to. And anyway, but then I saw her, and she was just sitting on the ground, and.

And she said, oh, yeah, that's my vest. I. She goes, it works so well that I've been sharing it with three different people so that we can all take turns being warm.

And I was just like, what in the world? That was just the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. And it just, like, it. It just. I don't know, my heart just, like, just filled with so much love for that.

For that woman and how. Just how much she cared about her. This works so well that I want you all to feel it, too. And that's kind of how I am.

I get so excited when something's amazing and I want to share it with everybody. And that's exactly how I felt about this lady. She just. She just was so awesome.

I mean, that was just such a sweet experience. Another time,

we had gone to a place in Salt Lake,

and there was this lady who was just, like, crying in her tent. And I just said to her, you know, like, hey,

would you want a heater vest? Could you come out and try it on? And she came out and she, you know, she was a little hesitant to try it on, but I mean, she was just sobbing and.

And when she put it on and just felt how warm it was, she told me that she had been praying for God to just give her a sign that she mattered.

And then we showed up with these vests for her, and. And it just was one of those, like, you know what I mean? Like, she's been praying for something, and God's like, of course I will send it right now.

And so just experiences like that have just been so fun just to see how. How much God cares about each person on this earth. That's just been the most beautiful part of it, right?

Melissa: So many parts of your story that I don't think are coincidence.

Definitely those beautiful messages.

Well, I. I just wanted to end with one thought. As you were sharing your story earlier and you talked about realizing that you needed to figure out your part, that was what you needed to do.

And as you shared that, the thought that I had is many times our part, or at least the part that makes us feel like we are fulfilling something in our lives, has to do with giving to others and serving others.

So I just. I would love to hear your final thoughts or advice for anyone on how to do that, how to figure out your part and what your role is.

Jen: Well, I mean, one of the. Just hanging on and not giving up. I can't stress enough how important that is. There were so many days where I just. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the entire day.

And I didn't really want to. But I firmly believe that, like, especially when times are tough, there is something important that you're being taught that is for your good, but not only for your good.

I believe that it's preparing you for the ability to help somebody else later down the road who may be where you are now. And that's been what's really been a help for me, and not just for me,

my mental health. It's helped me even in my recovery. This service that. That I'm involved with absolutely keeps me sober and it keeps me going and it keeps me wanting to keep trying because I just know all these people that are out there.

I used to be them. And I really feel like we go through things for a reason.

To help people later on.

Melissa: Absolutely. Well, Jen, it's been beautiful to hear your story, your inspiration, your faith and testimony as well.

Jen: Thank you.

Melissa: Do you want to just finish by sharing where people can find you if they want to learn more or donate that $30 for a vest?

I saw you. You do organize service events as well, so.

Jen: Oh, yeah, yeah. We are absolutely a traveling service circus. So to. To schedule an event, we will come to wherever the host or wherever we're invited, and we will bring all the materials, the supplies, and the host just provides the tables, the space, and the helping hands, and we bring everything else.

And we are able to do about two of these service events a week, which is awesome because we now, like last year, we were able to produce 1500 our numbers aren't about how many we get done anymore.

It's how many lives can we, you know, if we have zero people freeze to death, what do we have to do to make that happen? So that's our goal.

But there's ways you can find us in order to schedule an event. Turtleshelterproject.org is our website and if you just go and email, Celeste is our event coordinator and she, you know, we're booked out, I think, I think we're booked out till early June, which is a good problem to have.

But,

yeah, if you email,

Celeste can find out what, what times or days, you know, what we've got available or a little back and forth on what your needs are. But we can tailor any event to meet your skill,

your skill set and needs. So, yeah, reach out that way. And there's also a donate button on our website. We're on Facebook and Instagram under Turtle Shelter Project. I'm not super great with social media.

I actually need some help with that. So if anyone's listening that wants to help with that, like, I'm not going to cry about that, that'll be awesome.

So. But yeah,

that's great.

Melissa: Do you share your story at those events?

Jen: But if people want me to, yeah. Yeah.

Melissa: So that's beautiful, too. Well, thank you so much, Jan. I will put links to all of those in the show notes. And I really appreciate you coming on to share about the good work that you're doing.

Jen: Awesome. Thank you so much.

Melissa: That was my interview with Jen Spencer, the founder of the Turtle Shelter Project.

And I was really touched by hearing her story and just inspired by how real and genuine she is in sharing that story and sharing her relationship with God and all the direction and help she's received as she's started this nonprofit and continued to move forward with it.

So I'm going to leave links to her website and her social media pages in the show notes so you can go and learn more about what she does or donate to her cause.

As she said, it only takes $30 to create one of these vests that they give to homeless individuals or also they do, as she said, her little traveling service, circus.

So if you have an organization that might be interested in setting up shop and helping them create and make these vests, you can look on their website and get on their schedule for that as well.

And I want to give the friendly reminder that if you were inspired by this episode or any other that you've listened to on the Do Something podcast, please share it with a friend or family member or someone who you think would benefit from hearing the message that was shared here today.

You can also follow the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or I will always appreciate five star ratings and reviews.

And as always this week, I hope that you can find a way to do something more to help lift, inspire or make a difference.