by Amy Worthington
Volunteer Events and Training Coordinator
Summer is officially over and fall is in full swing. The end of summer and start of a new school year, ushered in the completion of the 2013 Summer of Service program.
To celebrate a summer filled with hard work and service, our devoted participants and their families joined us for an evening of fun, pizza, and celebration at the Summer of Service recognition event held at Boondocks. For four hours, everyone had full access to laser tag, go-karts, slick track, bumper boats, mini-golf, arcade, and many other attractions. Everyone had a great time together, and enjoyed the fruits of their labors.
This summer, we had over 95 youth, between the ages of 5 and 18, submit completed service journals. In total they reported over 2,035 hours of service in communities throughout Tooele, Davis and Salt Lake counties. Projects completed by our participants included sorting donations from clothing drives, hosting yard sales to raise money for childhood cancer research, serving as a docent at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, helping the elderly, assisting with teaching in an adult English learning program, painting curbs, and many other opportunities.
When asked why service is important, one of our participants, McKenzi Mitchell, said, “I really enjoy helping others and I think it’s important for us to look for opportunities to serve and volunteer. There is tremendous value in learning to sacrifice for others. When we serve, we grow in ways we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. We learn to be less selfish, to have compassion for others, and to appreciate the blessings we have. I’m glad I had so many opportunities to volunteer and give service this summer!”
Many thanks go out to the youth who served with us for Summer of Service 2013! We look forward to serving together with you next year for
Summer of Service 2014.
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