- 1,200 meal kits and support kits were created for students in need across Utah.
- Abby Cox emphasized Utah's leading role in volunteering and charitable initiatives during her speech.
- The service project addressed youth mental health issues and food insecurity in local communities.
- Student participation in service activities promotes improved self-esteem and reduces stress levels.
- Efforts included both meal packages and supportive items like fidget toys and snacks.
Dozens of people — including Utah’s first lady Abby Cox and national and state leaders — gathered in Olympus High School’s cafeteria to put together 1,200 meal kits and support kits for students in need in Utah on Thursday.
The UServeUtah service project was part of the National Governors Association’s Service-to-Career Pathways Summit. Those involved in the service project included youth volunteers from Olympus High School and One Utah Service Fellows as well as NGA Summit attendees.
In her remarks at the start of the event, Cox emphasized that Utah is always number one in the country for volunteering and charitable giving, adding that service “has been sort of in our DNA.”
She also shared that service can help counteract the political polarization and hate and outrage seen in the country today.
“The antidote to all of that is service and volunteering,” Cox said. “When we come together, when we stop thinking about ourselves, when we put aside the outrage and the chaos that these chaos entrepreneurs are peddling, we can come together and serve each other and build our communities.”
Mike Moon, with UServeUtah, explained the acronym NHB, which is used to help train volunteers.
He shared that the N stands for “statement of need,” the H is “how you can help” and the B represents the benefit, specifically the benefit to the volunteer.
The benefits to volunteers were highlighted multiple times throughout the event, which focused on how service can help build skills and lead to careers.
Moon also focused on what the needs were behind that day’s project.
As he spoke about the support kits they would put together, Moon shared that the leading cause of death for young people in Utah is suicide.
“Behind those statistics are individuals, youth that are trying to navigate this complex world and have so much pressure on their shoulders,” he said.
Moon shared that they would be assembling 500 support kits “to give support to those students that counseling centers have requested in public schools.” The kits included “things that help these youth know that someone cares.”
The second part of the project was putting together 700 meal kits for kids in the school district who suffer from food insecurity.
Cox shared that the meal kits were to help kids who “go the weekend without any food,” adding that “we are here to help make sure that they have a meal that they can take home for the weekend that they can have food during the weekend.”
The meal kits included nonperishable food items such as oatmeal packets, fruit snacks, mac and cheese, applesauce, pudding, chocolate milk and apple juice.
Inside the support kits were treats and snacks such as M&Ms and trail mix as well as sensory and fidget toys, fuzzy socks, motivational stickers, notebooks and moisturizer.
Students, volunteers put together 1,200 kits
Those who were present put together 500 support kits and 700 meal kits. There were 12 different tables set up and everyone was divided into groups to work at different tables.
Every table had a bell on it and each time a table reached 40 or 50 kits — depending on the project — they would ring the bell and the whole room would cheer.
Thursday’s service project coincided with the high school’s Olympus Does Good Day, which included the school ending its classes early and having its students participate in service throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
Romisha Adhikari, an Olympus student, said the school has been focusing on service because “studies have shown that volunteering can reduce stress, improve self-esteem and improve physical and social well-being.”
Adhikari added that “we organized many different activities that the kids could participate in just for them to help find their passion, explore their community and make new friends. And we were shocked at how fast the slots for these activities filled up. I think it was a moment of realization for all of us that each student has a desire and interest for service work.”
The event also featured multiple other speakers who shared their experiences as One Utah Service Fellows, as well as a student at Mountain Heights Academy who shared her experience being involved in service through her school.
