Lend a Hand
Expand the good in the world and give back a little or a lot. Whatever you’ve got.
Jesus not only taught us to love, but He also lived what He taught. Throughout His ministry, Jesus “went about doing good” and “entreated all to follow His example.” He taught, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
This is a place to find service opportunities near you, things you can do with your family, or even organize a larger group (Relief Society activity?) to make wonderful things happen.
We encourage you to not only take advantage of projects listed here, but to help your Added Upon community know of other opportunities to serve. This should not serve as your personal fundraising committee; but if you hear about something not listed here, let us know!
SERVICE TO DO FROM HOME
Do some good without barely getting off your duff. Check out these ideas for ways to get involved in service projects from the comfort of your own home.
REUSE GREETING CARDS
- Donate used or unused greeting cards from any occasion (fronts only)
- Cut them rather than tearing them in half
- Please ensure the cards are kid-appropriate personal cards i.e. family photos
- Please do not send any American Greetings, Hallmark or licensed (Disney, Warner Bros., etc) cards
- Send them to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children or LA Shares (see below)
St Jude’s Ranch for Children turns the old cards into new cards as an arts & crafts project with the children they support. The cards are then sold as a way of fundraising. Check out their website and pick some up for yourself! www.stjudesranch.org
LA Shares collects the cards for teachers who use them in the classroom or for projects with their students. They are given free of charge to teachers or any of the recipients supported by LA Shares. www.lashares.org
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Donate Bras to Support Women in Need
You know you have bras hanging around you haven’t worn in a year. Soma works with the National Network to End Domestic Violence to collect bras for women’s shelters.
Read more about Soma’s bra donation program here.
DONATION$
Sometimes you just don’t have a chunk of time to donate, but you still want to do good. As we post opportunities here, we will research them (to the best of our ability) to make sure your money goes to where it is needed and most efficiently used.
LDS Humanitarian Aid
The LDS church is usually ready and can get to areas and situations where help is most needed in emergency situations. Here is a breakdown of how the church’s charity costs work: Humanitarian Aid and Welfare Services Basics: How Donations and Resources Are Used
All you need to do is specify any amount you want in the “Humanitarian” section on your donation slip. (See LDS Donations)
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Charities with the Lowest Overhead
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ONGOING SERVICE PROJECTS
These projects can be done at any time, and are with organizations in constant need of your time and help. Perhaps you’d like to involve an entire group of people – your ward’s Relief Society, for example, or several families. Or maybe just volunteer yourself. Your tiny bit of time makes a big difference.
Points of Flight
Points of Flight is a foundation enabling volunteers to make all kinds of changes in the world. Find a Points of Flight local chapter here.
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Fred Jordan Missions
SoCal local mission with several ways of volunteering. Here’s how to get involved with the Fred Jordan Mission.
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Days for Girls
Feminine hygiene packages for girls in Africa who are restricted from participating in school and other activities on the days they have their period simply because they don’t have the necessary hygienic supplies to accommodate their needs. Volunteers are needed to help sew kits, fundraise, or even start your own chapter.
Visit http://www.daysforgirls.org/dfg-faq for more info and http://www.daysforgirls.org/make-days-for-girls-kits..
JustServe
JustServe allows you to search by region/area for service opportunities. A simple search for my own zip code (LA area) netted many interesting results, such as being an advocate for a foster child, helping in a women’s shelter, serving at food kitchens, and many more.
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Idaho Refugee Involvement
Idaho Office for Refugees provides lots of ways to volunteer in Boise and Twin Falls. You might be able to help teach English, set up apartments, or sponsor a family as they get acclimated to Idaho. Can’t volunteer? Donations are also greatly appreciated!
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US Troops – Operation Gratitude
Help with “Operation Gratitude.” They normally send 200,000+ care packages annually filled with food, entertainment, hygiene, and handmade items, plus personal letters of appreciation to Veterans, First Responders, New Recruits, Wounded Heroes, their Care Givers, and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas and their families waiting at home.
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Refugee Assistance.
Educating yourself is an important part of this relief effort, and even if someone does not have much time, they can learn more about refugees and be an advocate for them. This is a very brief overview of ways to learn more. Here’s a Google doc on Refugee Assistance.
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LDS Volunteer Ideas
If you’re ever wondering, there’s already so much organized for you with LDS Volunteer Ideas. Seriously. I don’t know why we have more of a list than this great source. But we do. You don’t have any excuses now.
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Support Refugee Efforts in Salt Lake City
International Rescue Committee and the United States have a long history of warmly welcoming the world’s most persecuted people.Give. Volunteer. Advocate.
LIMITED-TIME SERVICE EVENTS
These service opportunities have a short shelf life. Some of them are one-time events, time-sensitive, and others are only available for a short amount of time. Get ’em while they’re hot!
We Need Some Projects!
Idea description goes here. Got any service project ideas you know of? Let’s get rolling. Tap the “submit” button!
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SERVICE INSPIRATION
These are projects that need to be organized, and you’re just the person to do it! Perhaps your ward Relief Society or stake Young Women’s camp is looking for a service project to complete. Big or small – we’ll list them all.
(Or, as we find out about them anyway.)
Targeted Refugee Assistance
Tons of stories and ideas on how to help refugees in your area at iwasastranger.lds.org.
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Blood Donation
You already know how hungry the American Red Cross is for your blood. Find a hospital near you. Especially children’s hospitals are always in need. If you have an extra hour, platelets are always welcome too.
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5 Women Make a Big Difference with Crochet
Check out this blog post about women who have made their hobby worth more than gold.
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Donate Items
If you live in an area where Deseret Industries isn’t immediately available for you to donate gently used items, consider doing an activity where members of your ward/stake donate clothes and household items for people in need in your community. This blog entry outlines a successful event in the Augusta, Georgia area.
http://ldsdoctrine.blogspot.com/2016/12/2016-augusta-stake-free4all.html..
LDS Volunteer Ideas
If you’re ever wondering, there’s already so much organized for you with LDS Volunteer Ideas. Seriously. I don’t know why we have more of a list than this great source. But we do. You don’t have any excuses now.
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100 Dresses Activity
Here’s a PDF with the 100 Dresses service project idea for a Relief Society or Young Women’s activity.
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Walk a Dog / Visit a Shelter
Check with your local animal shelter about walking their dogs. This is free, only requires your time, and will get you some exercise in nature! It’s good for you as well as being good for you.
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