As the sun set Saturday, April 25, 80 people with special needs walked the red carpet into a Dazzle Prom put together by over 200 teenage volunteers in Orange County, California.
The 80 guests at this prom were all treated like stars throughout the night with pizza, snacks, ice cream and a dance.
Each individual with special needs was paired with a dedicated buddy who stayed with them throughout the evening. The goal for the 200 youth volunteers was to create a fun and supportive environment for people in their community who may not always feel included.
Latter-day Saint volunteer Avalyn Turner, from the Santa Margarita California Stake, was paired with an individual named Joey who uses a wheelchair.
“It was cool, because I got to feel this special responsibility of being able to be their buddy, and dance with them and have fun with them,” Turner said. “He had a little bit of struggle moving, but he was really fun to talk to. He’s a great conversationalist. And he just seemed to be having so much fun, and he was all smiles. It was awesome.”
This event was just one of many around the world that same weekend in honor of Global Youth Service Day — April 24-26, 2026 — and throughout Global Youth Service Month.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were part of this global effort, and many service projects by members of the Church and others were coordinated through the Church’s JustServe platform.
Chile
Young men and young women in Rancagua, Chile, helped paint 20 homes for senior citizens.
“What I’ve liked most about being here is that it helps people,” said volunteer Agustín Meléndez. “Jesus Christ would help people. So I follow His example.”
Volunteer Sofía Castillo said: “I am filled with joy because I know I’m helping people who need it.” She added, “I also know that I’m serving the Savior and that makes me very happy.”
In La Cisterna, Región Metropolitana, 100 youth and their families gathered April 25 to plant trees and other vegetation at a sports complex.
Mayor Joel Olmos expressed gratitude for each of the volunteers and said: “This tree-planting project is very important for our community. … This effort will help reduce extreme heat, improve air quality and inspire similar projects in other parts of the community, since this is one of the municipalities with the fewest green spaces in Chile’s metropolitan region.”
Texas
In Melissa, Texas, northeast of Dallas, 700 youth volunteers joined in serving individuals with special needs at a Special Olympics from April 30 to May 2.
Youth from five North Texas stakes were part of this large volunteer force.
Henry Bloxham from the Sherman Texas Stake said he loved serving people.
“What would I have just been doing? Sitting around, playing video games instead all day?” Bloxham said. “I just felt the Savior’s light when seeing their smiles.”
Natalie Brown, also from the Sherman Texas Stake, said the amount of love and joy at the event was a spiritual boost.
“So many people were out there wanting to help each other,” she said. “It’s the way God sees us. He doesn’t care how fast we run, just how hard we work to get to the finish line. He just wants to see us try.”
Although this event had hundreds of volunteers, one volunteer in Denton, Texas, northwest of Dallas, has made a difference in her community.
Seventeen-year-old Eden Bennion of the Denton Texas Stake set out to collect 250 pairs of socks for homeless individuals as part of Global Youth Service Month and the America250 celebration in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
For two months, Bennion worked on collecting donations and ended up with 938 pairs of socks to donate at the end of April to Our Daily Bread homeless shelter in Denton, Texas.
Arizona
Young men and young women from three stakes in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Avondale, Arizona, gathered at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix for Global Youth Service Day.
In total, 130 youth worked to package bread, food and afterschool meals for children. In one day, they put together food boxes for over 3,300 families.
Volunteer Alma Salas boxed bread for food pantries in the city. Even though he went to prom the night before, he said he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to serve.
Volunteer Eden Earl used a sealer to finish the kids packs to go to children to take home after school.
“Once we got in the groove sealing up kids’ packs, we had so much fun,” she said. “It was special to pack food for kids.”
Oklahoma
After 64 youth volunteered at the Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program, in a community west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, they were asked if they wanted to come back, and they gave a resounding “yes.”
The young men and young women of the Yukon Oklahoma Stake scraped and painted fences, stained a deck, cleaned debris and refreshed horse stalls.
Andi Holland, the executive director of the riding program, said the youth were “truly the hands and feet of Jesus.”
“Eight projects were completed on that Saturday that would have taken our staff weeks, if not months, to complete,” Holland wrote in a thank you email to the group.
Idaho
Forty-eight young men and young women gathered 142 bags of trash along a highway near Rexburg, Idaho, while others worked near Sugar City, Teton and Newdale, Idaho, to collect 88 bags of trash on Saturday, April 25.
Across the state in Caldwell, Idaho, 110 young men and young women spent that same Saturday at the Idaho Youth Ranch Residential Center for Healing and Resilience. They worked across the former tree-farm property to clear dead trees, branches, weeds and overgrowth surrounding the irrigation lines that circle the ranch.
Volunteer Linea Lacayo said it was a sweet way to spend the day.
“Doing this in such a beautiful space makes me feel good to be outside working and thinking about the kids and families who will be able to enjoy it in the future,” Lacayo said.
