Local News
Lehi groups unite for citywide day of service Sat. Sept 10
Lehi City, JustServe, Lehi faith-based groups, businesses and service organizations are uniting for the first time in a citywide day of service on Saturday, September 10. The broad organization has been named the Lehi Area Community Service Coalition.
The coalition’s goals follow the spirit of www.911day.org, a nationwide initiative created “to inspire unity and millions of acts of kindness and service for 9/11 Day, the federally-recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.”
All are invited to serve, and opportunities for all abilities will take place from 8 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, Sept 10. The day will begin at 8 a.m. with a brief patriotic kick-off ceremony, including musical performances at the Memorial Building on Center Street. Lehi’s Rotary Club, The American Legion, and Hutchings Museum have organized this portion of the day.
“The Rotary Club of Lehi is all about service. The Day of Service is an opportunity for club members to assist with flag set-up and a ceremony for the community to come together to remember the importance of being unified, as we did on 9/11. During these turbulent times, we need to serve and support one another,” said Glade Hamilton, who leads Lehi’s Rotary Club chapter
After the ceremony, volunteers will disperse to three Lehi parks or to the Lehi Senior Center to perform service. All community members are welcome to serve.
Rob Craig, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and JustServe coordinator, urges volunteers to sign up online before Sept. 10. “We strongly encourage volunteers to sign up through the link: justserve.org/lehiarea for the project of their choice before 9/10 to help us gauge the number of volunteers expected,” said Craig.
At the Senior Center, volunteers will have many choices for service activities suited to all ages and abilities. Abby Hughes, activity director for Abbington Manor, will lead the event at the Senior Center. “As Activity Director for Abbington Manor, I usually plan events for the seniors of Lehi, but I have loved planning the service fair for this special day. We’ve put together many service projects for people of all abilities to help us complete.”
Projects include quilt creation, hygiene kit assembly, reading buddy book kit assembly, letter writing and more.
Willow Park and the Lehi City Cemetery will be cleaned and beautified by volunteers who may sign up for one- or two-hour shifts. Lehi City employee Shaun Winters and Rob Craig with JustServe will oversee park project volunteer work. Volunteers for these projects are urged to bring gloves, shovels, and wheelbarrows if possible. Again, volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a shift online.
Mayor Mark Johnson said, “a planning commissioner once told me that her ecclesiastic leader had taught her that she should donate ten percent of her time serving others. She said that became part of her life and sincerely believed she had become a much better person through service. I hope many in our community recognize the importance of serving others and act on that important opportunity in September.”
Several family and young adult stakes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and other faith communities, including the New Hope Calvary Chapel and the Alpine Bible Church, are involved in the planning and execution of the event.
Some of the many businesses that have stepped up to offer support are Thanksgiving Point, Mountain Point Medical Center, Texas Instruments and the Lehi Free Press. Other companies that want to join should contact Sally Francom (sally@lehifreepress.com).
The Lehi and Skyridge High Schools’ student leadership teams are involved, as are other local service organizations such as the Lehi Civic Improvement Association and the Lehi Youth Council.
