Remembering Global Youth Service Day: Youth in Chandler, Arizona, Lead Multi-Activity Service Project

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By Sophie Jaglowski Runyan, Church News

After months of planning for Global Youth Service Day, on April 26, the Chandler Arizona South Stake youth set up a plethora of service activities in the meetinghouse cultural hall. The youth, their friends and their families came over the next two hours for any of the four different service activities — bike refurbishment, clothing collection and sorting, ornament decoration and “sleep tight cards.” 

What started as a simple activity where youth from the stake could come and go evolved into a day of service where families came and stayed. 

Monica Jones, a mother who came to serve with her son, said, “We truly had a meaningful experience. Moments like these show us the power of small acts.” 

The youth planned out the Global Youth Service Day activity with the stake months in advance. The advisors compiled a list of service projects in the area, and the youth chose multiple activities, said Angela Jones, a JustServe specialist for the stake. 

The youth reasoned that if there were multiple activities, then more community needs could be met, and every youth could use their individual talents. 

In preparation, the youth and leaders collected and assessed old bikes and clothes in the community. The activity organizers then coordinated with the organizations the youth would work with — Arizona Refugee Center, St. Vincent de Paul and Operation Ornaments. 

On Global Youth Service Day, the atmosphere of the activity was full of excitement and energy, Angela Jones said. After a light breakfast, some youth moved around to the various projects, while others remained at a station for the full two hours. Skilled advisors guided the youth while they fixed the bikes, and unexpected connections grew. 

Travis Mowery, the stake Young Men president, was involved in the bike refurbishment, as he has been a mountain biker for over 25 years. He learned that many of the youth were eager to learn about bike repairs so that they “could serve others or be better prepared for a mission.” This connection sparked a future biking activity for the youth to learn more. 

At the end of the morning, at least 50 bikes shined for the refugee families. 

For youth who were more creative, they could write “sleep tight” — or heartfelt messages — on index cards to be placed on pillows in the St. Vincent de Paul shelter. A local potter’s studio donated ornaments that participants could paint for Operation Ornaments. 

The amount of bikes, clothes and shoes collected, as well as the attitudes of the youth amazed the adult leaders, Angela Jones said. 

Said Janalynn Corbett, a youth participant: “Service brings me so much joy. I love knowing that the work I’m doing will go to people in need.” 

The organizations that the youth worked with posted the impact of their work. Arizona Refugee Center showed in a video the refugees picking up clothes and trying out the bikes. When Angela Jones saw the video, she choked up with emotion as she saw a bike she had donated being ridden by a little boy. “I knew that that bike was meant to go to that little boy,” she said. 

Added Monica Jones about the experience: “It is humbling how something that felt so simple to me could bring such deep meaning and appreciation to others.” 

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