As part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, Latter-day Saints in Idaho joined in several recent efforts to serve those in need.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, volunteers gathered in the Idaho Capitol in Boise to assemble hygiene kits for schools across the state.
Megan Remaley, president and CEO of United Way of Treasure Valley, said the kits will give families in need one less thing to worry about in their budgets.
“Think about the opportunity to relieve just a little bit of stress for a family,” Remaley said. “And then think about the confidence boost it offers kids to know that they have what they need to be healthy and well and show up as their best in the classroom, ready to learn.”
This service project came on the same day the Idaho Legislature voted unanimously to make 2026 a year of volunteerism. The resolution includes an invitation for Idahoans of all ages to join in 250,000 acts of service throughout the year.
In a Jan. 23 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, Eddie Trask, executive director of Catholic Charities of Idaho, said using freedom to serve others is a core idea of independence as a country.
“If you don’t take the freedom that you have been given and use it for good in helping neighbors, then what good is the freedom if it’s only used on yourself?” Trask said.
Jessica Cooper Whiting, a JustServe specialist in Idaho and executive director of the America250 in Idaho service challenge committee, said she is excited about how the state’s focus on service will bring people together.
“In a world where there’s a lot of anger and polarity, there’s a beautiful light that comes from serving one another,” she said.
JustServe is collaborating with the America250 initiative to make 2026 a record-setting year of volunteer service.
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. Church members and friends can find service projects in their communities listed on a special America250 landing page on JustServe.org.
Food donation
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated 40,000 pounds of food to the Rexburg Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The donation is part of the Church’s 250 truckloads of food donations to 250 food banks across the United States as part of the America250 celebration.
“There is a surprising amount of food insecurity here in Rexburg,” said Morgan Dortch, a coordinator with Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership. “There are so many people that are so grateful just to be able to have anything.”
Eric Andreasen, a JustServe coordinator in Rexburg, echoed Dortch’s comments. He added that service is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“You feel better when you get out and serve,” Andreasen said. “There’s something about having hands-on interaction with people that is just way more fulfilling than sitting and doing something disconnected. You can call it the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of community. You can’t find it any other way than when you get out and serve other people.”
