This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Mary Richards, Church News
In the months since a JustServe community volunteer fair was held in Regina, Saskatchewan, organizations and leaders in the Canadian city have seen an impact.
Ten charitable organizations arrived at the volunteer fair hoping to find much-needed help, and all left with a list of eager potential volunteers, explained a news release from the Canada Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The community has seen more unity, and youth in particular have been more interested in volunteering.
The Church of Jesus Christ sponsors JustServe.org, but the platform is free and available for anyone in the community to use, regardless of religion. Organizations list their volunteer needs, and people can use the website or app to find service opportunities based on their location, interests, age and ability.
The idea for the JustServe fair in Regina in October 2023 was to give people of all faiths, cultures, ethnicities and economic backgrounds a chance to gather in support of Regina’s charitable organizations.
The organizers — Liu LaFontaine, local communication director for the Church, and Susan Burgess, the Regina JustServe specialist — wanted to create a space where local nonprofit, community and government organizations could meet volunteers and connect through JustServe.
LaFontaine tried to make sure everyone in the community knew about the upcoming fair in the days and weeks ahead of time.
“We advertised our community volunteer fair with strategically placed posters, yard signs, Facebook and Instagram posts, online community boards and community cable stations, making certain that all charitable organizations were invited to set up tables at no cost to them,” she said.
That preparation paid off when more than 250 people of all ages attended the fair — and youth made up a large percentage. Politicians, dignitaries and media came to support the event as well.
Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said: “To see multiple faiths come together like this — folks born in different places, different age groups, differing ability levels — it’s inspiring. JustServe is a community unifier in ways that other things simply can’t be.”
Potential volunteers learned about service opportunities as they spoke with representatives of local charities and engaged in hands-on service projects. The projects included assembling hygiene kits, quilting, writing greeting cards, and donating winter coats, mittens and hats.
“There is a great spirit and feeling of unity generated when folks work shoulder to shoulder to serve their community. The excitement [at the volunteer fair] was palpable,” LaFontaine said.
M.J. Deans-Beynham, director of development at North Central Family Center, was appreciative of the event’s impact for her organization.
“We were welcomed by organizers from the Church upon arrival, and the fair proved to be a great opportunity to connect with community members. Our NCFC table saw a constant flow of interested individuals, eager to learn more about our organization,” she said.
Deans-Beynham said new volunteers joined the center that day, and in the months since the event, the volunteers contributed to activities like playing with children after school, baking cookies and crafting.
She added: “Once people come to NCFC, volunteer, meet the amazing staff and wonderful kiddos and community we serve, they’re hooked and become friends of NCFC for life. We’re excited about future volunteer fairs and aim to stay connected and actively participate in the positive work these events promote.”
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