The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States through service, in collaboration with America250 — a nonpartisan congressional commission charged with organizing celebrations to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial.
“The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is something to be celebrated by people of faith, people of goodwill (and) people of community everywhere,” said Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Nov. 13, the day the church kicked off its collaboration with America250 and its America Gives initiative.
“We’re delighted to be working with America250, as part of a national celebration and local celebration, with service,” the apostle said.
Part of the church’s participation has already included sending semitrucks loaded with 40,000 pounds of food supplies each to food banks in Oregon, Michigan, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Idaho and California.
A total of 250 truckloads — totaling an estimated 10 million pounds of food supplies — will be packaged, prepared and sent out by the church and church volunteers to food banks across the nation’s 50 states this year.
JustServe and FamilySearch, both organizations sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ, are also collaborating with America250 by facilitating opportunities for individuals and families to explore their heritage and the nation’s history, as well as making 2026 a record-setting year of volunteer service.
How to join in on the celebration
At JustServe.org, individuals and families can browse through the platform’s thousands of volunteer opportunities to find local or virtual service projects that match their skills and interests.
The platform also allows users to create their own service projects; see past, upcoming and recommended projects; mark favorite organizations; and use a newly added “Record of Service” feature to track their contributions to America250’s America Gives initiative.
On FamilySearch.org, an America250 landing page lists several links and invitations that individuals and families can follow to discover their place in the nation’s history.
These include links and invitations to:
- Explore one’s own family tree and see how one’s genealogy fits into the nation’s history.
- Record one’s story and that of their family.
- Nominate friends, relatives, neighbors or community leaders as living American heroes, whose stories need to be “shared and preserved.”
- Visit a FamilySearch center or affiliate library to get help and participate in America250-themed experiences (in select locations).
“America’s story is built one family at a time,” said FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood in a release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“As we commemorate 250 years, we invite everyone to add what they know — names, memories and photos — to help preserve the diverse experiences that shaped our communities and our nation. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard in America’s story.”
What the church has done in celebration so far
The first five of 250 truckloads the church will roll out for the nation’s semiquincentennial arrived in their respective destinations Nov. 18-19.
Of these destinations, the Fish of Grand Blanc food pantry in Grand Blanc, Michigan, was one of the first food banks to receive the church’s donation and delivery of 40,000 pounds of food supplies.
The Grand Blanc food pantry was selected to receive one of the first deliveries as an expression of gratitude for the support given to church members by the state and city’s residents following the shooting and fire that took place at a local church meetinghouse on Sept. 28.
“The people of Grand Blanc and the surrounding communities have shown what it means to come together and help others,” said President Marcelino Sanchez of the church’s Grand Blanc Michigan Stake, according to a November church release. “This delivery is a small way to say thank you, help our neighbors in need and give back to this wonderful community.”
Similar reactions of hope and gratitude have come from people at food banks and missions in Tennessee and California, according to reports on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“One million people a year walk through our doors needing a hot meal and a place to enjoy it,” said David Brown of Midnight Mission in Los Angeles.
“A delivery like this changes what we can do for the preparation and planning of the meals and the quality of the food. We can plan in advance, making the quality of the meals better, giving our patrons the opportunity to eat a hot meal, sit down, and feel a sense of home and care. It will have a direct impact right now.”
Aside from the church’s food deliveries, Latter-day Saints have also already begun dedicating time to serve their communities through activities listed on JustServe.org.
In Boise, Idaho, for instance, church members and other volunteers gathered for a JustServe-sponsored project where they assembled hygiene kits for schools across the state.
Their service also contributed to the state’s goal of rendering 250,000 acts of service in 2026.
Reflecting on the opportunity, Eddie Trask — executive director of Catholic Charities of Idaho — said using freedom to serve others is core to the nation’s independence.
“If you don’t take the freedom that you have been given and use it for good in helping neighbors, then what good is the freedom?” Trask said in a church release. Service expands hearts, “and the recipient of course gets to see that someone cares about and … sees them at a time where a lot of people feel completely unseen, completely uncared for.”
Elder Gong expressed hope in November, when the church’s food delivery initiative kicked off, that the nation’s celebration wouldn’t only last a single day. He hoped it would be “a celebration in our hearts (and) in our homes for long periods of time to recognize with gratitude, not just the past, but most importantly the future.”
The food supplies loaded in each truck rolled out by the church include a variety of canned fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as pasta, flour, pancake mix and dried milk. Most of these goods are produced by the Church of Jesus Christ and funded by church member donations.
