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Youth to gather and serve their communities for Global Youth Service Day

A young man participates in neighborhood cleaning project. Researchers at BYU have found the providing small acts of kindness for neighbors can boos a person’s mental health, even during the ongoing pandemic. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A group of youth give service by cleaning white walls with brushes and water. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ty Brown, a priest in the Tall Cedars Ward, Gainesville Virginia Stake, helps chop wood for a family whose father was deployed in the Middle East. The service was part of 10,000 acts of service performed by the ward youth in 2020-2021. Credit: Dave Tenny
Youth from the Tall Cedars Ward, Gainesville Virginia Stake, help prep a greenhouse at a local community farm as part of their wards 10,000 acts of service performed in 2020-2021 for an art project. Credit: Reagan Roney
Emersyn Hardman, 11, of Washington, Utah, places a flower in honor of mothers on a grave at the City Cemetery in St. George, Utah, as part of a community service project Saturday morning, May 8, 2021. More than 2000 youths from the church participated in a day of service picking up trash along county highways, hiking trails, city and state parks, and by placing flowers on the graves of deceased mothers in honor of Mother's Day. Credit: Nick Adams, for the Deseret News
Youth gather outside the Santiago Chile Temple. Note: this picture was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Service is an integral aspect of the Church’s youth programs. Credit: Photo courtesy Priesthood Department
Gilbert Arizona Stake youth pause for a picture during joint service project in 2009. They joined youth from a Catholic Church to perform community service. Credit: Photo by Allan Dietlein

The largest annual celebration of young volunteers happens this year on Saturday, April 30.

Global Youth Service Day is a coordinated annual event to gather youth of all walks of life to participate in community service. Advocates say by youth working together, local communities can thrive.

This year the day is expected to engage millions of young volunteers ages 5 to 25 in more than 100 countries.

JustServe — a platform connecting community service needs with volunteers — has been promoting 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:
1. Find a friend to serve with
2. Plan a project on JustServe.org or the JustServe app
3. Share the experience using #GYSD or tag JustServe.org on Facebook and @Just_Serve on Instagram

Youth and service

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often remind the youth of the Church that they have been reserved for this day, said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from the grounds of the Washington D.C. Temple last week.

“So why would we be surprised? When will we stop being surprised at the valiant efforts of the young people to do what they know they should do because they know who they are?”

Watch: Elder Bednar asks, why are we surprised by today’s youth

Recently, young adults spoke to the Church News podcast about how and why they participate in service.

McKaylee Burton, a stake Relief Society president in the Layton Utah YSA Stake, said, “Whenever I serve, that’s a feeling that I get that the adversary cannot mimic, right? The peace that I get from serving.”

She said she grew up in a service-oriented family, with parents who taught her the importance of helping others. “It’s all in our actions towards others that really help us become the type of person that we want to be, and for me, it just always brings me joy.” 

Austin Bradley, a high school senior in Woods Cross, Utah, said: “Service allows you to find your interests, and what you want to do with your life and how you want to serve, how you want to help out other people in your community.”

“Why I love to serve is because I feel closer to God,” he said.

Young women participate in a service project in Columbus, Ohio. Service and activities is a key component of the new Children and Youth program.
Young women participate in a service project in Columbus, Ohio. Service and activities is a key component of the new Children and Youth program. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The benefits of service

Robin Gephart is a JustServe coordinator in San Diego, California. She said research showed when teenagers serve strangers, their self-esteem increases, their hope and gratitude increases, and their aggression and delinquency behaviors decrease.

“When we can participate in these projects, whether big ones or small ones, it reminds us there’s still goodness out there. There are still good people out there,” said Gephart. 

Incredible things happen when young people volunteer. The United Way shared five benefits for teenage volunteers:

1. Increase in self-esteem
2. Become more empathetic
3. Strengthen college applications
4. Earn better grades
5. Learn long-term generosity

JustServe global manager Heath Bradley told the Church News podcast in December that service brings together the whole human race “in love, peace and unity. It breaks down any barriers. Our differences really aren’t differences as we serve hand in hand.”

Read more: How Latter-day Saint youth are utilizing JustServe to bless others — and themselves

Bradley said young people in the Church are finding and creating projects on JustServe for youth activities, or as a launchpad to find their own interests, or in ways to prepare for college admissions essays, or because they have been raised by righteous parents who teach service by example.

He said every nonprofit or charitable organization could use volunteers giving of their time or money or service in order to help others, even if it is just a small amount.

Bradley hopes as people use the JustServe website or app, they build habits of service throughout the year that feed back into that vision of the first and second great commandment — loving God and loving one’s neighbor.

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