Students serve local needs
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Nearly a thousand single sisters from the three Salt Lake University stakes gathered on the morning of March 5 at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion adjacent to the University of Utah campus for a tri-stake humanitarian service project.
Four hours later, they had assembled and readied for delivery 700 children's activity kits to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City; 500 children's grief bags to the Sharing Place in Salt Lake City; 500 hand-edged and knotted baby's and children's fleece blankets to other local hospitals and charities. They also delivered 1,000 personal hygiene kits to the LDS Humanitarian Center and 1,600 more to Hope Alliance and Globus for delivery to Peru.
"This project was amazing," said Jaclyn Shumway of the University 24th Ward and a member of the planning committee. "I am amazed at how much we accomplished. There really is nothing that can't be done when enough people put their hands in the bucket and start working together. . . . I learned to love the sisters I worked with."
The service project began during the late summer of 2004 when the stake Relief Society presidents of the 2nd, 5th and 6th single University stakes decided that a service project was the best way to celebrate the Relief Society's anniversary.
Single representatives were called from each of the 34 Relief Societies to serve on a coordinating committee with non-resident, married sisters. One project provided fleece blankets to charities and hospitals in the Salt Lake Valley. More than 500 blankets were delivered to the Ronald McDonald House, The Christmas Box House in Ogden, Shriner's Hospital for Children, Primary Children's Medical Center, a local day care and the Teen Mother program at the University of Utah Hospital.
Recipients in the Teen Mother Program were excited to see the vibrant colors and variety of fabrics because "every baby now coming to the program will get a blanket." Recipients at Shriner's Hospital expressed gratitude for the blankets.
The sisters also collected used prescription glasses to be sent to Brazil with a group of ophthalmologists on a medical eye mission. Used cell phones were collected for recycling, with the proceeds going to purchase phone calling cards for local military personnel stationed away from home.
