In March, thousands of Utahns participated in the annual Feed Utah food drive — delivering fliers to homes, gathering food from doorsteps, transporting food to food pantries, then weighing, sorting and storing the food to be then given to those in need.
Youth and their leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were heavily involved in the effort, as were members of other faiths or no faith in many communities and cities around the state. The needs were listed on JustServe.org, where volunteers new to the effort found out how and where they could help.
The JustServe platform is a free website and app where community organizations list their service needs and where volunteers can find service opportunities around them.
Utah leaders say the state ranks first in the nation for formal and informal volunteerism. JustServe is a big part of those efforts.
In Utah in 2024, there were 189,550 registered JustServe users, 1,039 active projects, 206,930 referred volunteers, 761 nonprofit organizations using JustServe and 24 active high school JustServe clubs.
Organizations in Utah using the JustServe platform include those that help refugees, veterans, the elderly, children and youth. Projects include cleaning up streets and parks, gathering and delivering food, writing letters, reading books, collecting clothes and toys and more. Volunteer opportunities are large, small, individual, group, remote or in person.
A project that helped bring together a community happened on a sunny day last year. JustServe volunteers and members of the Enterprise Utah Stake of the Church helped run the Enterprise Outdoor Games on Sept. 14, 2024. This is an annual event sponsored by the city of Enterprise for families and individuals who have special needs.
The day was full of carnival-type games, hay rides, ATV rides, a petting zoo, karaoke, cornhole, balloon animals, entertainment and more. There were about 80 participants and 75 volunteers who helped in various ways. The day was capped off with hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, Dutch oven potatoes and soft-serve ice cream cones.
Organizers reported seeing big smiles on faces of the volunteers and families.
One poignant example around Christmastime involved providing gifts for the children of fathers in recovery. The Foundation for Family Life, based in Riverton, provides sober living homes and outpatient treatment for men who are dedicated to rebuilding their families. Volunteers saw the post on the JustServe platform and made Christmas possible for these families.
The fathers — whose full names were not given for their privacy — expressed their gratitude to the volunteers.
Said Josh: “Knowing we can rely on the love of others and the strength of our higher power warms my heart and brings joy to my entire family. It also reminded me and my children of the importance of serving others.”
Zane said: “Getting gifts for my daughter and granddaughter for Christmas was huge — monumental. It helped open the lines of communication between us, improving the relationships I’m working to mend in my recovery.”
High school JustServe clubs in Utah
Paul Staten — who helps support JustServe clubs in Utah — said there are 24 active high school JustServe clubs in Utah right now.
Of those, 16 clubs have reported 2,500-plus hours of service since the school year began last August. JustServe also supports an additional 100-plus service clubs in high schools across the state with service opportunity ideas, national initiatives and community-building opportunities.
As high schoolers join JustServe clubs and do service for others, they are finding friends, connecting with the community and finding out that service is joyful, Staten said.
Jackson Best is a senior at Hunter High School in West Valley City, Utah, who serves as president of the school’s JustServe club.
He joined because he thought it would be a wonderful opportunity not only to serve others but also to get to know more people.
“I love to serve because participating in things more significant than myself helps me connect with my community,” he said. “There is nothing better than seeing the people I know and love come together to contribute to something that is selfless, that benefits others more than it benefits themselves.”
The club has picked up trash, held a food drive, done crafts and played games with senior citizens, and more. Jackson’s favorite project so far came in January making wooden toys to give to children in need.
Others in the club wrote on their Instagram page how serving with their friends is fun, and service to others brings the givers and receivers joy.
The service projects that the Provo High School JustServe Club found on JustServe.org broadened the high schoolers’ interests in other people and what was taking place in the community. They found many opportunities to serve and needs to fill that they never would have thought of on their own.
The club in Provo, Utah, held a homecoming dance at a senior living facility, wrote letters of encouragement to various groups, made a quilt, knitted hats, gardened at community grounds, caroled at Christmastime, babysat, made cookies, donated blood, put together activity kits for kids, transcribed historical records, set up and hosted school events, helped teachers clean classrooms and more.
Club president Adira Gilliland said that as they looked for projects to do, she liked seeing how much other people were already serving in the community.
“You see the goodness of everybody — they are already doing service for each other, and it’s super cool,” Adira said.
Staten said that in a recent meeting of JustServe club members from around Utah, many discussed their favorite projects — and most involved serving elderly people, such as visiting them, singing to them, playing games with them or delivering flowers and artwork.
April is Global Youth Service Day, and later in the month is Global Youth Service Day. Both events offer an opportunity for young people ages 5 to 25 to do service in their communities. Opportunities can be found on JustServe.org and the JustServe app.
Fire hydrants, cleanup and llamas
Like Global Youth Service Day and Global Youth Service Month in April, other opportunities come up on the calendar for JustServe volunteers to gather for large-scale projects each year. These include the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance in September and Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.
In Vernal, Utah, people came together to repaint the city’s fire hydrants for a 9/11 National Day of Service activity in September 2024. The volunteers represented at least seven local faith denominations.
Normally, it would take the city’s crew of four people about four years to repaint all 900 of the city’s fire hydrants. But because of the volunteers, the work was completed in a single day. Plus, the volunteers were able to work with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Kingsbury Community Church to paint, clean windows, cut overgrown trees back and clean yards.
Miss Uintah County even showed up in her formal pageant dress, crown and heels and joined in painting fire hydrants without getting a drop on her clothes.
Event organizer Georgene Cook helped distribute cans of paint, brushes, lid openers and garbage bags. “The teens and children loved this project,” she said.
Cook said that after everyone was finished, they returned to a central location to receive popsicles. The leftover popsicles were donated to a local elementary school. One week later, the school was placed in lockdown because of police activity nearby.
“The children in lockdown were each given a popsicle to help calm nerves and make the afternoon more enjoyable,” Cook said. “We were very blessed by the service of over 1,000 community members and the opportunity to help fearful children — yet another testimony that God loves everyone and is aware of everything.”
In Spanish Fork, more than 60 volunteers helped at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple for a project commemorating 9/11 National Day of Service.
On Sept. 7, 2024, volunteer teams harvested the garden’s produce, trimmed vines, replanted bushes, cared for llamas, moved and painted fences, removed large debris and planted new trees.
Krishna leader Caru Das said that the work accomplished what would have taken his congregation years to complete. “You did not organize service, you organized love.”
Daniel Vincent, who serves with the Young Men organization in the Salem Utah Woodland Hills Stake, said his family enjoyed the day of service at the Krishna Temple.
“Our kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Not only because they got their hands dirty and they got to tear things up and build fences, but because they got the opportunity to understand the significance of the llamas and the other animals there on campus,” he said.
Rachel Vincent spoke about finding common ground between the two religions. And she quoted their children, ages 10 and 8, as saying: “I loved it. Wait, was that service? That was so much fun.”
Aaron Lowe enjoyed cleaning up the property and helping to beautify the grounds of the house of worship.
“It is a landmark in our community, and we are happy to have them as good neighbors,” he said. “It was also a good experience for my children to see what other religions do and how they worship.”
Wally Trotter, who is the first counselor in the Woodland Hills stake presidency, said Jesus Christ ministered to everyone. “As disciples of Christ, we want to follow His example and minister to everyone, too. This was a day to do exactly what He would do.”
JustServe designations for 2 Utah cities
On Jan. 10, the city of South Salt Lake was given a JustServe city award.
South Salt Lake is home to many refugees, and the Promise South Salt Lake department has been working for several years to improve community connection, after-school programs and other initiatives.
JustServe fits into this goal to lift the quality of life for residents, as the city is committed to volunteerism, said South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood.
As mayor, she has learned that impactful change comes from building strong relationships and collaborations.
“Volunteerism is crucial in achieving our goals, enhancing many of our programs and strengthening our community bonds. By partnering with JustServe, we’re making volunteer opportunities more accessible and fostering an inclusive, compassionate city,” Wood said. “I’m deeply grateful for this recognition and proud of our community’s big heart.”
In November 2023, South Jordan received one of the inaugural JustServe Global Cities Awards. This was presented to six U.S. cities, recognizing communities that use the JustServe platform in significant ways that make a difference in their community.
South Jordan Mayor Dawn R. Ramsey said the recognition is a testament to the generosity of the residents.
“The heart of South Jordan is found in its people — those who see a need and take action. Through JustServe, we have seen incredible partnerships form between residents, local organizations, businesses and faith groups, creating lasting impacts,” she said.
Residents of South Jordan “continually step up to serve in ways that strengthen our entire community,” she said.
Orem, Utah, JustServe specialist Val Hale told the Church News in 2024 that it is important for people to find ways to serve outside of their church connections.
“We all live in communities, we are part of our communities, … we need to be engaged in what’s happening in our communities,” said Hale. “So, let’s make our community a better place to live. Let’s be part of the process.”
For those wanting to volunteer more and include more service in their lives, Hale encourages them to first set a goal and, second, download the JustServe app and check it regularly.
“Make a habit of it,” said Hale, “and find something that you would like to do and a way you’d like to make a difference for an organization and for some people.”
