Service opportunities “Show Up” at Lehi event

“Show Up is a rallying cry. Through this initiative, we encourage Utahns everywhere to reach out wherever they are and however they can to lift others, serve, show support and be willing to learn about and appreciate different points of view,” said Utah First Lady Abby Cox.

Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point hosted a free event on Saturday, June 25, where dozens of non-profit organizations gathered under one roof. Families could learn about each organization while listening to live music and getting food from one of the several food trucks parked nearby.

“Abby Cox has four initiatives and one of them is service. At the beginning of the year she challenged Utahns to complete a million acts of service in 2022,” explained Amanda Millerberg with Show Up Utah. “We believe Utahns are really already doing so much service and this event is all about connection and promotion – bringing together non-profits and the community.”

“So many families want to serve, and they just don’t know where to start. People are working on their summer bucket lists and there are so many opportunities to add service to that list,”Millerberg continued. The Show Up team has a great presence in the Salt Lake area and chose to turn their focus to Utah County a little more by having their event at Thanksgiving Point.

Each of the non-profits at the Show Up event offered information and activities to help people get to know them better. The Boys and Girls Club provides after-school and summer programs geared toward elementary and middle school kids. Families and individuals can volunteer to clean up the clubhouse, prepare meals, donate items like backpacks, coats and shoes, or teach a class. The Boys and Girls Club for Utah County is in South Provo at 1060 East 150 North.

Communities That Care (CTC) is a program individualized for specific needs in cities and counties with regard to mental health and substance abuse issues. The Utah County Health Department (UCHD) develops and gathers coalitions on a county and city level. They collect data, primarily from the Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHaRP) survey, to find out the needs for drug and alcohol prevention in each area. Their data may show family conflict underlying drug or alcohol addiction, so they provide a family resource or class. The coalition in Pleasant Grove, for example, is focused on suicide prevention with Everyday Strong, a United Way resource.

Utah County currently has four local Communities That Carecoalitions in American Fork, Eagle Mountain/Saratoga Springs, Payson and Pleasant Grove. Right now the Utah County Health Department is looking for a coalition leader in Lehi. “We want every city to have their own coalition. We want to set up shops in each city to provide the best possible services,” said Brian Alba from the UCHD.

Women of the World is a non-profit based in Salt Lake City for internationally displaced women. Their programs empower women to achieve independence, economic success and give them a voice in the community.

Advertisement

“One of the great things about Women of the World is that we fill in the service gap. Utah’s a very philanthropic state, but we need better communication to get people who need services to the people providing those services,” said Zach Malcarne. “One of our main responsibilities is to help women find and take advantage of the resources that are out there.”

Refugee women are usually in a caregiver role – their husbands get jobs, and their children go to school once they’ve been relocated. “Women end up being isolated. They don’t have the access or the ability to communicate. Women of the World exists to give them a community.”

Families looking for service opportunities could also learn about these organizations at the Show Up event; Alliance Community Services, Early Learning Essentials, Health Choice Utah, Junior Achievement of Utah, The Best Seat in the House, Circles Utah Valley, Kids on the Move, Children’s Services of Utah, Digital Respons-Ability, Latinos in Action, Catholic Community Services, The Road Home, Saprea, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, Utah Foster Care, Timpanogos Legal Center, Dreamers Wish Foundation, Joyful Welcome, Little Lambs Foundation for Kids, Utah County Senior Volunteers, Utah Valley Family Support Center, Wasatch Adaptive Sports, Raise the Future, Utah Food Bank, Utah Parent Center and Granite Education Foundation.

Besides service, Abby Cox’s Show Up initiative also focuses on emotional self-reliance and educator support, support for Utah’s foster children and families and the Special Olympics Unified Sports.