JustServe helps Utah Valley residents come together and serve

As Orem, Utah, JustServe specialist Val Hale observed volunteers at a food drive in early September 2023, a father approached him thanking him for giving his family a possibility to serve. Ninety minutes was just perfect for his family, the person told Hale, allowing them to serve after which proceed with their normal Saturday schedule.

The man and his family are a few of many individuals within the Utah Valley finding ways to serve with their community through JustServe.

9/11 National Day of Service

The food drive was one in every of several projects organized by the City of Orem and promoted through JustServe in recognition of the 9/11 National Day of Service. While honoring those that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, the Day of Service encouraged people across the country, including Utah Valley, to place aside their differences to help those in need.

Stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Orem have participated within the Day of Service for several years, but most commonly organized their very own projects. Some, nevertheless, would ask the town if it had service opportunities available. In 2023, Orem community services manager Kena Mathews received calls like this from stake leaders in the world. Given the quantity of interest, she contacted Hale, who serves on the Church’s Orem Central Coordinating Council — which incorporates representatives from different stakes around the town — they usually organized a gathering between stake and community leaders to coordinate Day of Service projects.

The city decided to arrange multiple projects throughout the world and supply the tools and logistics. Orem stakes, meanwhile, took responsibility for gathering volunteers for the projects they signed up for. Hale posted the service opportunities on JustServe. 

Among the projects were cleanups at Bridal Veil Falls, Mt. Timpanogos Park and the All-Together Playground on Sept. 9, 2023.

While some stakes accomplished their very own projects, all participated within the citywide food and eyeglasses drive conducted through Charity Vision and Community Action Services and Food Bank. Organizers held the drive every week prior to the Day of Service on Aug. 26 to permit community members to take part in multiple projects.

People of all ages and skills

Hale was encouraged to see a big selection of individuals take part in the food and eyeglasses drive, from young children to the elderly.

Many young individuals who learned concerning the drive through JustServe helped collect donations from local meetinghouses.

“It was fun to see their enthusiasm and excitement,” Hale said.

Watching youth and families serve together recalled memories of his family helping harvest fruit at Church welfare farms when he was a baby. Since welfare assignments like which can be now not common, he feels that before JustServe it was harder for a lot of Latter-day Saints to seek out service opportunities.

“Anytime now that we’ve a possibility to get out and serve,” said Hale, “I believe it’s an actual helpful thing for our families and for us as individuals.”

An elementary school student from Provo came upon concerning the eyeglasses drive and started collecting glasses from his classmates. On the day of the drive, he arrived with 52 pairs.

By the tip of the day, 3-4 large boxes of used eyeglasses were collected. The lenses could be replaced with latest lenses for people in third world countries. 

The drive also collected 42,000 kilos of food, greater than twice the 16,000 kilos collected in 2022. So much was collected that organizers ran out of bins and needed to get more. 

Interfaith and Inter Community Relations

Hale and Mathews credit the surge in donations to the greater involvement of local stakes in addition to local businesses and other community organizations. 

But Mathews also credits JustServe, not just for increasing involvement, but in addition for helping fuel higher community relations overall.

As a former nonprofit director and current housing director for Community Action in Provo, she says nonprofits across the board are using JustServe to seek out volunteers.

Recently, when her own Protestant congregation in Provo urgently needed volunteers for an event, they used JustServe. Within two days they’d all of the people they needed.

She says collaborative efforts just like the 9/11 Day of Service food drive break barriers between people of various backgrounds. She notes the importance of that profit in communities like Orem where many individuals participate with one religion.

“I believe people who are usually not a part of that religion often feel like they’re not a part of something,” she said.

Hale says it’s essential that Latter-day Saints find ways to serve outside their individual wards.

“We all live in communities, we’re a part of our communities … we must be engaged in what’s happening in our communities,” said Hale, “So, let’s make our community a greater place to live. Let’s be a part of the method.”

For those wanting to do more service in the brand new 12 months, Hale encourages them to first, set a goal to be more engaged of their community and, second, download the JustServe app and check it often.

“Make a habit of it,” said Hale, “and find something that you prefer to to do and a way you’d prefer to make a difference for a corporation and for some people.”