When UTA Transit Police Department officers aren’t patrolling the system, they can be found serving the community – literally. Every month, officers serve dinner at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall run by Catholic Community Services of Utah. The facility provides free lunch and dinner to Salt Lake’s homeless population, typically filling the cafeteria with more than 500 people for a single meal.

On Monday, a dozen UTA Transit Police Officers donned gloves and aprons to serve pizza, sandwiches, vegetable stew and Clif Bars to hundreds of men and women who had lined up in the rain.

“We want to provide support to the community we serve,” said UTA Transit Police Lt. Paul Nielson. “We realize that any of us could be in these people’s shoes someday.”

The officers’ work at St. Vincent de Paul is just one several volunteer efforts undertaken by the department. They regularly visit local Boys & Girls Clubs to eat lunch with the children. The department is also organizing a fundraiser for a group of refugees who live near the S-Line and need diapers, wipes and other childcare basics.