Honoring 9/11 Local Cougars and Congregation Serve Caring Pathways of Carrollton

Carrollton, Texas – In honor of 9/11, the National Day of Service, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Carrollton, including former BYU Cougars and local congregation members, gathered to serve Caring Pathways of Carrollton, a nonprofit organization that supports adults with disabilities. This event was part of several community activities inspired by Cougs Care, a grassroots team of volunteers dedicated to giving back to the communities the BYU football team visits during the college football season.

The BYU Cougars secured a victory over SMU’s Mustangs in Saturday’s game, but the real winners were the many organizations that experienced BYU’s unique “tailgating effect” of sober service. Before each football game, local alumni find ways to uplift the surrounding community. This time, Caring Pathways was chosen as the recipient of their service efforts.

“We are a day program serving adults with disabilities who have aged out of the school system,” said Jan Kelsay, president and founder of Caring Pathways of Carrollton. “It was amazing—so many people came, and they were very organized. This will make a huge impact on our program. As a small nonprofit, having the support of JustServe really makes a big difference.”

Before the game, volunteers took on tasks such as repairing, patching holes, painting walls, and providing a deep cleaning. Local missionaries joined in, organizing and unloading a large custom wall unit built to match an existing piece. Stephen Seegmiller, a local carpenter from Sandy Lake Woodworks, donated his time to construct the additional wall unit to exact specifications for Caring Pathways’ clients to store their belongings.

“Caring Pathways of Carrollton makes such an important contribution to our community,” said Kandyce McCracken, a JustServe specialist for the Carrollton area. “It was heartwarming to see so many people come out to support them. What I appreciated most was the opportunity to raise awareness about the essential services they offer.”

Volunteers contributed more than 100 service hours and donated approximately 500 items to stock the organization’s supply shelves. Items were collected on the day of service and at the BYU vs. SMU football game.

Learn more about this service on Fox 4 DFW: BYU fans hold charitable tailgate ahead of SMU game.