LDS Youth Set Service Speed Record

Featured Photo: Oakmont Ward teens of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather for a picture during a December service project at Children’s Hunger Fund. Photo by Thomas Russell III.

The superhero Flash has nothing on the youth from the Oakmont congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Texas—at least in setting service speed records. On Saturday, December 3, 2022, thirty-one teens, ranging in age from 11-18, packed 1,260 food boxes for the Children’s Hunger Fund in just under two hours.

A charity representative said that he’s never seen anything like it for speed, that the previous weekend it took 150 people to pack the same number of boxes in the same amount of time.

“Helping people in need is always something I find enjoyable,” said Ellie Hall, age 13, “I know people go through tough times, and it’s always nice to have a helping hand.”

While the teens were efficient, they were also careful.

“It was interesting to see the amount of care and work that went into each box, how every box was checked and double-checked to make sure it was complete,” said Ashley Bird, 11.

The Children’s Hunger Fund, located in Frisco, Texas, is not a food bank, but rather works to provide churches of any religion care packages to be handed out to those they minister to. Their mission statement is unique in its simplicity:

“Delivering hope to suffering children by equipping local churches for gospel-centered mercy ministry.”

These teens are not strangers to helping others, but rather perform organized service projects regularly with their next one on December 16^th for Feed My Starving Children. This charity’s stated mission is “feeding God’s starving children, hungry in body and spirit’ with a process similar to the Children’s Hunger Fund. Volunteers hand-pack meals that are “donated to FMSC food partners worldwide, where kids are fed, and lives are saved.”

Harrison Ray, 16, reflected on his experience at Children’s Hunger Fund: “To know that we were literally doing something to be one in a chain of hands that gets children the food they need is a humbling experience. I felt grateful to be able to do it.”

“Helping others is very important to [our Church],” said Emma Ray, a youth leader. “The scriptures teach that when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. These teens have reason to know that on a very personal level through their many experiences in loving and lifting others—sometimes at supersonic speed,” she quipped.

Finding charities in need in North Texas has never been easier! Visit the Virtual Giving Machine to locate more than 40 local charities to donate to. Also, visit JustServe.org to find volunteer opportunities near you.

Janene Nielsen is the Assistant Director of Communication over Media in the D-FW area for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.