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A student visits the "service corner" of the institute building next to Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Virginia, in April 2024. Photo by Nick Daynes, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Mary Richards, Church News
Students at Southern Virginia University looking for service opportunities now have a specific “service corner” — a place where they can find future service opportunities, connect with others and even participate in a quick service project right away.
The Buena Vista Virginia YSA Stake service committee set up the room in the stake center, which serves as the institute of religion for the college campus. The room is designed to be a central hub for all the different groups on campus that promote service and are supported by the relatively new SVU JustServe Club.
JustServe is a website and app where nonprofit and community organizations can list their volunteer needs and where volunteers can find opportunities to serve around their area.
Nick Daynes, a senior at the university, serves on the YSA stake service committee and is the president of the SVU JustServe Club.
“One of the motivations for getting this service corner going is the phrase, ‘Come and serve’ from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf,” Daynes said. “Come serve with us, come feel the Spirit with us” (see “Come and Belong,” April 2020 general conference).
Young adulthood “can be a selfish time,” Daynes said, especially for those who are not married yet or don’t have children or are returned missionaries feeling a little lost after their missions. Service helps young adults look outward instead of inward as they help others and make their communities better: “Organized service like this is an opportunity for us to stay consecrated and look outside of ourselves,” he said.
Service is an integral part of Southern Virginia — as people approach the Main Hall, the words “Learn that life is service” are inscribed on the signposts. For the university’s 20th anniversary, students logged 20,000 hours of service.
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A sign on the posts leading to the Main Hall of Southern Virginia University says "Learn that life is service." Photo provided by Southern Virginia University, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.The private institution is aligned with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its website explains, and Bonnie H. Cordon, former Young Women General President of the Church, currently serves as the university president.
Daynes said one of the motivations for starting the JustServe club on campus was to help build a JustServe presence in Buena Vista, Virginia. Many different faiths and community organizations prioritize service and have volunteer opportunities; JustServe helps them have a platform to list those projects and grow their efforts.
In the institute building’s “service corner,” people can post upcoming service projects on the room’s white board — like an indexing project found on JustServe. In one corner is a crocheting project to make hats for babies in the hospital. In another area, students can put together craft kits for an organization that helps children. There is also a clothing drive taking contributions.
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A "service corner" is set up in April 2024 in a room at the Buena Vista Virginia YSA Stake Center, which serves as the institute of religion next to the Southern Virginia University campus. Photo by Nick Daynes, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.Youth groups around the community are also welcome to use the room, Daynes said. “The hopes are that this room will continue to be there with ongoing projects and it’s a way to unite all the different efforts. This is just getting started, so hopefully over the years we can keep adding to it.”
Meanwhile the SVU JustServe Club continues to grow as students join in either with longterm projects or spontaneous opportunities that come up. Club members have painted fences, cleaned cemeteries, groomed horses, split wood, delivered treats and more. One of Daynes’ favorite projects was setting up a booth at the campus food court where students could spend a couple of minutes in between classes sanding and oiling wooden cars for children.
As a post on the club’s instagram account pointed out, when people serve together, they:
- Spend time with friends new and old.
- Learn new experiences.
- Make new friends together.
- Bond over new experience.
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A room at the Buena Vista Virginia YSA Stake Center became a "service corner" in April 2024 where Southern Virginia University students can find service opportunities and connect with JustServe. Photo by Nick Daynes, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.Copyright 2024 Deseret News Publishing Company.