In a statement published Friday night, the organization said the decision followed a decline in grant funding and donations and a rise in the demand of services.

Community Action said it will no longer accept financial, food or in-kind donations, effective immediately.

“Our great sadness is knowing that the need for these services has not gone away,” Interim CEO Caitlin Rangel said. “We are profoundly grateful to every person who has given their time, resources, expertise and heart to this organization.”

The closure comes after 59 years of operation, providing food and housing assistance to people in Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties.

Community Action Chief Impact Officer Jessica Miller told the Daily Herald last month the organization needed $100,000 by Nov. 1 to stay open and ultimately needed $1.5 million to pay off debts and rebuild reserves.

The latest public tax information available on the IRS database, Community Action’s 2024 Form 990, shows the nonprofit had approximately $13.65 million in expenses and $12.2 million in revenue in the reported fiscal year. 

Before the closure, the board parted ways with CEO Tom Hogan and appointed Rangel, the former COO, to the position. It added board members Val Hale and Sheldon Miner. The Board of Trustees will determine the best course of action moving forward, Community Action said.

Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran addressed the closure in a statement Saturday, calling it a “travesty” to see the organization close, and said he has been working around the clock to navigate the crisis.

Beltran said the closure was not a consequence of a lack of government support.

“Years of financial and operational mismanagement, coupled with a recent escalation of financial instability, should not be mistaken for a failure of the government partners who have consistently supported these programs and services,” he said.

Beltran said the closure impacts more than 20,000 residents and more than 50 employees and that he is working around the clock to stabilize essential services and identify solutions to fill the gaps.

“I also want to recognize several furloughed Community Action employees who are generously volunteering their time to help us transition operations of the Warming Center,” Beltran said. “Their continued dedication to serving others, even in the face of their own uncertainty, speaks volumes about their character.”

The Utah County Warming Center will remain open under county control. For food assistance, Community Action suggested individuals reach out to Tabitha’s Way, and for rental assistance, to the Boys & Girls Club of Utah County or NeighborWorks Mountain Country Home Solutions.