VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - On Saturday morning, the tables set up inside the gymnasium at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints were more than just a stand - they were stepping stones to service.
"It's a special, warm feeling in the heart to be able to serve someone else," said Donna Wright, who is on the Just Serve Committee for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
It's that feeling that local leaders want to give to others.
Each table set up on Saturday was part of "Just Serve," an online service linking volunteers with different organizations.
Yet rather than stay online, Wright wanted to bring folks together in-person.
"[The organizations] could come and meet each other face-to-face and meet people face-to-face that are looking for a way to do something better in their lives," Wright said.
Such as volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads, for example.
"It's basically a collective group of people working together to make sure that the family is housed and it's their own," said Jennifer Pickett, a volunteer ambassador for Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads. "It's important to be here because this would be ground zero. Home is where everything starts, and with the help of the others in the community, that's where home can always be."
The idea for this event was born after the Relief Society, a women's service group within the church, received a People Taking Action Award for making quilts for people in need.
"It felt so wonderful to have someone notice that we were doing that that we want other people to notice how they can help as well," Wright said.
So on Saturday, families and people of all ages got involved, asked questions, and made a little more space in their heart to give back.
It's an example that when we lean on one another, we can make a difference.
Click here to access Just Serve and find other local organizations to help.
