Our Story

The Helper Project is a 501c3 non-profit, non-political organization. Its mission is is simple: To foster revitalization and beautification and promote cultural connections for the City of Helper, Utah.

The Helper Project was founded in August 2016 by Anne Morgan-Jespersen. Anne is a native of Utah, and as a teenager, traveled throughout Utah and Wyoming with her father staking out oil and gas claims. This experience gave her a strong connection to and love for Utah’s landscape and the unique history of its rural cities and towns.

After completing a Master’s Degree in Architecture and working in the profession for over thirteen years, Anne decided to devote her professional life to painting. For 20 years, she painted part-time in Helper while living full-time in Salt Lake City. During that period, she gained an enormous appreciation for the extraordinary history, beauty, and tenacity of the people living in Helper.

In 2015, Anne and her husband Roy decided to make Helper their permanent home. They purchased an old grocery market on Helper’s Main Street and spent a year renovating it into a living space and art gallery.

It didn’t take them long to discover that, like many rural railroad and mining towns in America, Helper had felt the effects of the decline in the production of coal, oil, and gas. Together, they brainstormed on how to best use their skills for the benefit of the community and decided to form The Helper Project. They created a governing board of community leaders, artists, and business owners, and formalized the organization in August 2016.

Today, The Helper Project prides itself on obtaining funds for projects that fall within the realm of the mission statement. Since 2016, 48 projects, special events, and exhibitions have been completed, and tens of thousands of dollars have been invested back into the community.

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