Youth-Global-Service-Day
A young man helps clean up a yard for a service project. Global Youth Service Day is recognized every April.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Mary Richards, Church News
The month of April includes an opportunity for youth around the world to serve their communities. Global Youth Service Day — the largest annual celebration of young volunteers — will be marked from April 28-30 this year, though the whole month of April can be used to serve.
Global Youth Service Day is a coordinated annual event to gather youth of all walks of life to participate in community service. The opportunity is expected to engage millions of young volunteers ages 5 to 25 in more than 100 countries.
Youth can serve on their own, with friends, with their families, or in a joint project with other ward or stake members and neighbors in their area.
In the Church’s Utah Area for example, the area presidency has invited all young men and young women to register at JustServe.org and use the website or app to find appropriate projects for their service. Participating in service is consistent with the Utah Area’s goal of strengthening the rising generation.
JustServe is a platform connecting community service needs with volunteers. Users can search for projects by location and set filters based on their interests and talents.
By registering through JustServe, youth will be able to find a service project to do for Global Youth Service Day or throughout the month of April — and then after April, youth could continue to use JustServe to find regular service opportunities around them.
Youth-Global-Service-Day
Members of the Marina High School JustServe Club participate in a beach cleanup service project in Huntington Beach, California, on Jan. 28, 2023. Photo provided by Sydnie and Scotty Smith, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.
The Benefits of Service
Dr. Laura Padilla-Walker, dean of the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences at Brigham Young University, said there is a link between depressive symptomology and service.
“Engaging in prosocial behaviors during the teen years is associated with a variety of protective factors, including better relationships with friends and family, hope, persistence, gratitude and self-esteem,” Padilla-Walker told the Church News in February. “In turn, relationships and self-esteem are then associated with lower levels of depression.”
Meanwhile, more high schools in the U.S. now have official JustServe clubs, where students can meet together, plan and carry out service in their communities.
Sixteen-year-old twins Sydnie and Scotty Smith started a new club at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California.
“I was skeptical as to how many people we were going to get, but seeing how many people joined just showed me how much people really want to help others,” Scotty said.
Advocates say by youth working together and serving others around them, local communities can thrive.
In addition, service to others helps youth follow the first and second great commandments to love God and their neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).
Youth-Global-Service-Day
Attendees learn about immigrants and refugees and ways they can help at the JustServe Refugee Awareness Fair hosted by the Cedar Mill Oregon Stake in Beaverton, Oregon, on October 22, 2022. Photo by Heidi Hayden, courtesy of Church News. All rights reserved.
More About JustServe
JustServe is now available in 14 countries. In 2022, JustServe facilitated more than 130,511 volunteer projects. More than 69,000 new users registered on the platform last year, and more than 14,000 organizations were represented.
In 2022, JustServe promoted Global Youth Service Day through its social media channels, website and app leading up to the day.
Service can be done on one’s own or in a group service activity, explained the JustServe social media posts, listing the following:
- Find a friend to serve with.
- Plan a project on JustServe.org or the JustServe app.
- Share the experience using #GYSD or tag JustServe.org on Facebook and @Just_Serve on Instagram.
Padilla-Walker said parents and Church leaders are often looking for ways to build youth.
“Programs like JustServe are a great way to help young people get involved in serving strangers and neighbors in the community and can have a meaningful impact on positive outcomes for youth — including self esteem, self-confidence, gratitude and hope — as well as protecting against problem behaviors, such as aggression and poor self-esteem,” said Padilla-Walker.