The Idaho Falls JustServe community has embraced the opportunity to collaborate with Global Youth Service Month and engage youth in a concentrated effort to serve our neighbors. Global Youth Service Month is an annual celebration of young volunteers around the world. It is designed to encourage youth to participate in community service. The mayors of Idaho Falls, Ammon, Iona and Ucon endorsed this herculean effort.
Paige Anne, American Idol finalist last season, agreed to serve as Ambassador of our local service campaign and participated in multiple projects, sharing her enthusiasm for serving. She expressed that it takes a village to raise a child and now it is her turn to pay back the community that has helped her and has supported her in her dreams.
Service in the community is nothing new for Paige Anne. As a student leader at Idaho Falls High School, along with her classmates, she jumped into service with both feet. The annual Super Bowl where Idaho Falls and Skyline High School students collect donations for the Community Food Basket is always a highlight for both schools. Often Paige Anne is right in the thick of feeding the guests at the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen with her family.
Throughout the month-long focus on youth service, she encouraged all community youth to “be the change." Our local youth have served willingly on many projects.
-
Dozens laid sod at the Bonneville County Fairgrounds.
-
Many willing hands painted the back fence at Melaleuca Field.
-
Ammon teens worked cleaning up a city park.
-
Thunder Ridge Honor Society and Young Single Adults collected food for the Community Food Basket.
-
Some teens baked cookies for the residents at Ronald McDonald Family Room.
-
Several Idaho Falls High School students painted their iconic rock and cleaned around the school.
A bunch of teens also gathered for demolition at the Salvation Army kitchen in preparation for an upgrade to a commercial kitchen. Captain Staneart at the Salvation Army expressed his surprise at how quickly and efficiently the boys got the job done and how their service was a necessary and significant step to the remodel. He was impressed with their willingness to work and reported that from start to finish the job was completed in two hours. The boys enjoyed this opportunity. Some joined in cemetery cleanup. Cleanup on canal banks and walking trails were some of the suggested projects.
One evening dozens and dozens of teens gathered at the Community Food Basket (CFB) to help prepare mailers for an upcoming Letter Carrier Food Drive. The invitation was open to all residents. It was gratifying to see our youth stream in, ready and willing to share their time for the sake of helping our food-insecure neighbors.
CFB Director Ariel Jackson said that was the biggest party (they call their sorting projects a party) they have ever had at the warehouse. The CFB team kept putting up more tables and chairs to accommodate the huge volunteer response. One hundred sixty people were there to staple donation bags to the mailers for the upcoming drive.
Global Youth Service Month is a coordinated annual event that gathers young people around the world in volunteer service that benefits their communities, their countries and the world. Activities are organized in more than 100 countries each April to engage millions, making it the largest annual celebration of young volunteers. Our local youth embraced the opportunity to join with others across the globe to make their mark for good.
Our combined efforts create the “change” in our community. It is true that every person counts, every person has a role to play, and every person makes a difference. Global Youth Service Month proves it. This won’t be our last year for a concentrated youth service effort. We will continue to expand our reach to be the change!