Thousands of Youth Serve Their Communities for Global Youth Service Day and Month

This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.

By Mary Richards, Church News

Global Youth Service Day and Global Youth Service Month are a time when young people can get out and serve in their communities and make a difference — and youth from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned out in force to take part.

The Church teaches the importance of service and supports the Global Youth Service initiative through JustServe, a free online platform created by the Church for anyone to use. The JustServe website and app connect charitable and nonprofit organizations with volunteers and is now available in 17 countries.

Read this related Newsroom story Latter-day Saint Youth Serve Communities in the Southeast US

Whether on Global Youth Service Day from April 26-28, or throughout Global Youth Service Month April 12-May 12, thousands of youth made a difference in their communities. Below are some examples of service projects and events around the United States and Canada.

Canada

Alberta

The Edmonton JustServe Youth Council organized a park cleanup through the Capital City Clean Up program, which is run by the city of Edmonton. Over 60 young people from various high schools and faith communities participated in gathering garbage from Gallagher Park in central Edmonton. The neighboring Cloverdale Community Garden was also a beneficiary of the service.

In Sherwood Park, Alberta, more than 200 volunteers from the Church, Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul and the community signed up on JustServe and then joined together to package 90,000 meals for those in need.

British Columbia

Youth in the Brookswood Ward of the Surrey British Columbia Stake participated in Global Youth Service Month by inviting the Relief Society to help them make blankets for babies and children going into the foster care system. The youth and women had breakfast together and then learned how to properly cut and tie the blankets.

United States

Arizona

Around 300 youth in Gilbert held a gathering to lift and support refugees arriving in Arizona. At the event, they:

• Collected and cleaned 34 bikes
• Cleaned and donated 150 shoes
• Made 100 ESL games
• Prepared 50 communication cards
• Painted 60 pieces of framed art
• Cut and organized 40 crib sheets
• Loomed 4 rugs

These efforts benefited the Welcome to America Project, Gathering Humanity, and Clothes Cabin organizations.

Meanwhile, the Mesa Arizona Mountain View Stake worked with the local Community of Christ to clean up a park on the church’s property by mowing, edging and weeding.

In Gila Valley, 300 volunteers from three stakes worked together to help build a trail and clean up the area surrounding Cluff Pond, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Arkansas

Some 100 youth from nine congregations in the Springdale Arkansas Stake picked up trash at Lake Elmdale in Elm Springs, Arkansas, with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership. They finished up the evening with pizza at another park.

Teens on the stake youth leadership council found the service project on the JustServe app and planned and carried out the activity with support from their adult leaders.

Taylor Sallings, age 12, said, ″It felt good to clean up around the lake while hanging out with friends.”

California

More than 240 youth from 80 schools around southern California gathered for one large event in Huntington Beach on April 20, where they took part in multiple service projects benefiting a dozen charities. The youth crafted fairy wands, wove friendship bracelets, knit socks and blankets, made puzzles and posters, wrote letters to veterans, wrapped books and more.

“We had an amazing turnout,” said Debbie Taylor, the JustServe director for the local coordinating council. “So many awesome projects were completed. It is so inspiring to see the youth get involved and make a difference for those around them.”

Download Photo

Latter-day Saint youth around Thousand Oaks, California, joined members of other faiths and the Boy Scouts to make sure foster kids are celebrated on their birthdays. They spent an evening in April tying fleece blankets, making birthday cards and filling birthday boxes with birthday party supplies, paper and stickers for handmade birthday cards, wrapping paper, treats and other items.

And 100 youth from San Diego got together to assemble 3,000 snack kits for CityNet, an organization that helps the homeless. Members of 15 JustServe high school clubs in the country had been gathering the supplies and food since the beginning of the year.

Colorado

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a community service project was held with Be the Good on Saturday, April 27. More than 100 youth from four local high schools showed up and helped make:

• 971 feminine hygiene kits
• 500 holiday banners
• 115 pounds of food
• 100+ candy bags
• 50 hygiene kits
• 17 blankets

The projects benefited the Family Resource Center, Rocky Mountain Kids, Days for Girls and Senior Living Center.

Idaho

Around 60 volunteers cleaned up Settlers Park in Meridian, Idaho. The city provided the materials for youth to pick up trash, pine cones, weed and clean the playground.

Hailey Schulthies said, “I liked cleaning the playground. It is a way I could give back to my community and provide a clean space for kids to play.”

In the Idaho Falls area, American Idol finalist Paige Anne joined youth in serving several different nonprofit organizations including the Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Idaho Falls Animal Services.

In Nampa on April 25, high school students and faculty joined the Homedale Community Clean-up event.

Florida

More than 60 youth from the St. Cloud Florida Stake served at the Kissimmee First Church of the Nazarene on April 27 in honor of Global Youth Service Day. Volunteers helped to plant fruit trees, a pollinator garden, vegetable beds and landscaping for a prayer garden, all of which were goals of the Church of the Nazarene to further serve the non-profits with whom they partner.

Being able to serve in an interfaith effort was uplifting and inspiring to the youth there.

Isabel Misigoy, age 14, said she has been going through some trials recently “and being able to set aside my struggles to help others helped me shift my perspective. I find that in serving others my problems don’t seem as great and I can focus on what is truly important — sharing the love of Christ.”

Kate Rucker, age 17, said, ″With school, I don’t get to work outside a lot. It was so fun to do some good and meet people of another faith who were also trying to live the teachings of Jesus Christ. It was a beautiful day.”

In the Miami Lakes Florida Stake, 45 youth gathered on April 27 to serve at the Farmworker Association of Florida by organizing donations, cleaning sheds, planting in the community garden and tending the property.

Samuel Finlinson, age 17, said, “Participating in the Global Youth Service Day at the Farmworker Association was a humbling experience, reminding me of the value of community and the impact of collective effort.”

Meanwhile, members of the Leesburg Ward in the Leesburg Florida Stake performed service at North Lake Church, helping with a food distribution and cleaning up a playground. And youth and adults in the Orlando Florida Stake collected, sorted, folded and prepared 9,000 pounds of clothing and shoes for delivery to 19 local charities.

Kentucky

Some 45 youth from the Lexington Kentucky North Stake cleaned up the shoreline of Hickman Creek at Veterans Park. During the service project, the youth learned about the significance of veterans and the importance of their service alongside a monument erected for Fayette County veterans of the Vietnam War.

Payton Hale, age 17, from the Elkhorn Creek Ward, didn’t know much about it beforehand but was glad for the opportunity.

“Four out of the 10 of us were down in the creek cleaning the water and on the bay, while the others cleaned on the grass. Overall, it was a great time being with my friends and cleaning up the park,” Payton said.

Missouri

Around 210 youth across the Springfield Missouri South Stake served at local food pantries — bringing food donations but also hope. At Crosslines Resource Center, youth set a record for a single donation from one organization with over 1,800 pounds of nonperishable food. Youth also set a record at Christian Action Ministries for the largest single volunteer group packing 1,200-plus meal bags and two oversized pallets full of snack bags. Other youth served at Least Of These Food Pantry and at Ozark Share and Care in Harrison, Arkansas.

Youth in the Platte City Missouri Stake joined with youth from Community of Christ to do a project they found on JustServe. The 150 youth created a carnival and collected items for kids living in the Noyes Home for Children.

Also, 135 youth in the Kansas City Missouri Stake joined with Life Quest Church and put together more than 200 giving bags for people experiencing homelessness, and cleaned roads and highways with a few people from Martin Luther Lutheran Church.

The JustServe Club at the University of Central Missouri and the Warrensburg Missouri Stake helped with a number of projects, including cleaning at a lake and volunteering at a sustainability event.

Montana

In the Billings, Montana, area, 19 youth helped weave sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness. They worked to flatten and cut used plastic grocery bags, make strips out of the bags and weave the strips into mats.

Nevada

Around 300 youth both from the Las Vegas Nevada Tule Springs Stake and the Unity Christian Center worked together on an interfaith project. They made 500 hygiene kits for Catholic Charities and wrote 500 notes for Blessings for Backpacks. They also took part in mini classes on goal setting and learning peacemaking skills.

The North Las Vegas Nevada Stake had around 70 youth join with city workers, a pastor from a neighborhood church, Get Outdoors nonprofit and others to plant trees in Goynes Park and spread bark around other new trees. The project was not on JustServe, but because of the connections made that day, the stake and the city are working together to use JustServe for future tree-planting and park cleanup projects.

New Mexico

Youth in the Kirtland New Mexico Stake picked up trash and worked to restore grave sites at the Toadlena cemetery.

Organizers shared how two of the young men helped two community members who were trying to locate the grave site for their brother who passed away 50 years ago. The two young men started clearing the overgrown brush and grasses in the area where they thought the grave might be located. Eventually, they found a very small placard with the name of the brother they were looking for. The young men cleaned the grave site and restored the stones that had been placed around the grave site all those years before.

North Carolina

In the Asheville North Carolina Stake, the Relief Society and youth worked together to donate 72 newborn kits to the Abiding Hope Pregnancy Center.

The women of the Relief Society gathered supplies for a month. Then, on Saturday, April 13, the youth assembled the kits.

South Carolina

Around 30 youth and adults from all across the Hilton Head South Carolina Stake spent the morning of April 27 clearing weeds and trash as well as rebuilding a deck and stairwell for a family who lives in the Okatie area.

In the Myrtle Beach South Carolina Stake on April 20, youth packaged materials for a men’s homeless shelter and learned about family history. Elise Caywood, a member of the youth committee, said, “I know that Heavenly Father sees our struggles and knows who we are and that He helps put ideas in our heads so that we can help others the best we can.”

Tennessee

Youth of the Cookeville Tennessee Stake took part in several projects in the area in April. This including sorting and packaging food for a food bank, chopping and loading firewood, cleaning up in the community and serving at a local ministry.

In the Chattanooga Tennessee Stake, youth used JustServe to find service projects for nonprofit organizations such as Lasagna Love, Make-A-Wish and Love on Wheels. Youth shared how it was a lot of work but they felt strengthened by their service.

Texas

Around 200 youth from the Carrollton Texas Stake did a project with the Birthday Party Project, spreading joy to teens and children who are homeless in the Dallas area.

Youth also served at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Conservation Center in north Texas — clearing brush, staining benches, recycling feed bags and removing old fencing. Other youth in north Texas partnered with EquiHope where they cleaned the horse barn and helped care for the horses, then went back on another day in April to paint fencing for the stables and pastures.

More than 300 youth in east Texas served at the East Texas Food Bank by sorting and packaging boxes and school backpack meals. And in Austin, youth served in various ways at Pioneer Farms.

Utah

Youth in Hyde Park, Utah, took part in a project at the Cache Valley Humanitarian Center where they helped weave sleeping mats for those who are homeless. It takes 600 plastic grocery bags to complete one mat as well as over 30 hours of combined labor. The center has requests for 56 mats from a local warming center and many more requests throughout the state.

In Pleasant Grove, Utah, a group of youth gathered with their bishop who invited them to pray about whom might need service in their neighborhood. Because of this, they were led to different individuals and families during their service activity on April 24. One group of young women helped a family remove hazardous rocks from their front yard. Other young women cleaned windows for a grandmother. A group of young men did yardwork for a couple who’d had surgery. And after other young men helped a man install a door, he told them they were an answer to his prayer.

Washington

Youth in the Lakewood Washington Stake helped clean up grave stones for a service project, while youth in the Sumner Washington Stake made over 2,300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to help a local non-profit feed those in need.

In the Lacey Washington Stake, youth took part in a project on April 20 to pull invasive ivy from the Lake Louis Habitat. The weather lasted just long enough for them to fill an abundance of bags with the weeds, and the city of Lacey invited the youth back for future projects.

Youth in the Snohomish Washington Stake gathered on April 27 to help Farmer Frog, a local nonprofit farm in the community that serves local food banks. The farm had recently relocated, and on April 27, around 85 youth and leaders weeded row crops, planted new plants, sowed seeds and built new fences.

Copyright 2024 Deseret News Publishing Company.