Service Projects: Celebrating the volunteers who make it possible
During Volunteer Appreciation Week, we want to recognize something we see every day: our community shows up. Over the past year, volunteers have stepped forward with compassion, creativity, and commitment. They have contributed 1,765 hours of volunteering at all our shelters since last Volunteer Appreciation Week. Their efforts have strengthened our programs, uplifted survivors, and helped ensure our sanctuaries feel safe, welcoming, and full of possibility.
Community-powered safety doesn’t happen on its own. It is built collectively, through the people who give their time, share their talents, and choose to care. Every service project, whether large or small, plays a role in supporting survivors and reinforcing the sense that they are not alone.
Service, care, and connection
Starting out last spring, volunteers from Amazon helped refresh our gardens and flower beds, transforming outdoor spaces into places of calm and beauty. Community celebrations brought smiles and laughter as Cross Tower Church and Morgan High School hosted festive egg hunts, creating joyful moments for families. Care and connection continued when the Rotary Club of Hispano‑Latinos honored residents with a Mother’s Day breakfast.
Ginger Shaw, known as the Origami Lady, brought creativity to our after-school programming, encouraging creative expression through hands‑on learning.
The Horizon Arts Festival showcased the power of creativity and collaboration. Volunteers from Premier Talent and Modeling, led by Nadia Walker, supported the event alongside the many community members who stepped up to help bring it to life. Organized by LiveDAYBREAK, the festival demonstrated how art, service, and teamwork can build connection and pride.
Fall came, and so did a lot of yard work as the leaves began to fall. Teams from Target tackled yardwork, sanitized the Community Learning Center, and organized the boutique. SLCC Days of Service chipped in to help with yardwork, cleaning, and organizing donations. And our board member, Eric Kropf, and Alta Bank helped us finish off all the groundwork needed for winter.
SeekWell supported residents by assembling thoughtful goodie bags off-site.
A group from Hampton Inn prepared pinwheels for domestic violence awareness efforts, while the Granger South Stake donated birthday kits to ensure children felt celebrated on their special days. Cross Tower Church of Christ hosted a trunk‑or‑treat event to create a safe and welcoming Halloween experience.
Ben Hazlett and his family assembled backpacks filled with essential items, offering warmth, dignity, and care during colder months.
Every holiday season for the past few years, Sam Sollars dresses up as Santa and decorates his motorcycle as a sleigh. He gathers a bunch of other bikers to collect donations at a Walmart, then they all ride up to the Capitol. Santa on a Bike delighted children with donations, smiles, and an unforgettable experience.
“My heart goes out to you all. I saw you knowing the kids and doing right by them. I saw a lot of things right. In my simple mind, you know so many situations and do right as you can for so many people. God bless you. I was in tears meeting the kids there – wanting to know if they are being seen. I pray for each of you and all the people you care for. Thank you so much for just everything.” – Sam Sollars
The year closed with an outpouring of generosity and joy. Volunteers helped wrap presents and prepare holiday giving programs. The Skyridge Softball Team hosted a festive celebration, while Odile Baker and her family created a Christmas Carnival, complete with generous food donations. The Larks filled the shelter with music through caroling.
That spirit of service has carried strongly into recent months. Volunteers from the Park Ward Young Women helped clean and organize the Community Learning Center and boutique, ensuring welcoming and functional spaces. HOPE Church groups refreshed both the clinical therapy room and the children’s therapy room with new paint, creating environments that feel calm, safe, and supportive for healing.
Community members also shared kindness through thoughtful Valentine’s gifts, including wooden roses, treats, care items, and handmade notes, small gestures that carried big messages of care and remembrance.
We were also grateful to Compass Minerals, which hosted a resume‑building workshop for residents. This hands‑on session equipped participants with practical tools and renewed confidence as they prepare to re‑enter the workforce or pursue new career paths. Workshops like these are powerful steps toward long‑term stability, and we hope to continue offering opportunities like this going forward.
During times of transition and renovation, individuals across the community stepped up in quieter but no less meaningful ways—donating dinners while kitchen cabinets were being redone, and ensuring families were still nourished and supported. Easter baskets were lovingly made and delivered across shelters, and generous donors, including Cross Tower Church of Christ, contributed meals, supplies, and time. Cross Tower also led another joyful Easter egg hunt, donating everything from eggs and baskets to energy and care.
Each of these efforts reflects the same truth: service doesn’t have to be grand to be impactful. It just has to be offered.
Your role in the year ahead
If reading this inspires you, know that getting involved doesn’t require specialized skills or large commitments. Service projects can begin with a simple conversation with a congregation, workplace, club, or group of friends. From donation drives and events to hands‑on projects or skill‑based volunteering, there are countless ways to make a difference.
Volunteer Appreciation Week is both a celebration and an invitation. We invite you to reach out, learn how your group can get involved, and become part of the community effort that keeps survivors supported and safe.
To every volunteer who gave their time and heart over the past year: thank you. Your dedication is the foundation of community-powered safety, and your impact is felt every day.