Hundreds of Northern Colorado Members of the LDS Church Celebrate Colorado Cares Day Through Extensive Community Service

LDS Church Members Donate Food, Goods, Time, and Energy to Uplift Local Colorado Communities

LOVELAND, Colo. – (August 28, 2017) In celebration of Colorado Cares Day, on Saturday, August 12, nearly 400 Loveland, Fort Collins and Berthoud residents, from the Loveland Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), volunteered an estimated 980 hours by donating hundreds of needed items to those experiencing homelessness, and performing various service projects throughout the community.

In support of Catholic Charities, Angel House and House of Neighborly Services, over 25 donation boxes with more than 600 needed items and nearly 1,200 pounds of food were collected by volunteers at several drop off points in Loveland and Fort Collins throughout Saturday. Items donated were among those most needed by the organizations, including food, hygiene products, clothes, back to school items, cleaning supplies and appliances.

Additionally, volunteers of all ages performed various services throughout the day across the community. Notwithstanding the summer heat, over 100 volunteers cleaned and removed weeds and dead trees at four local parks, including Fossil Creek Park, Carter Lake County Park, Boyd Lake Stake Park and Willow Bend Park.

Simultaneously, two groups of volunteers, including several young men and young women from the Loveland Stake, deep cleaned the kitchens, serving and eating areas at Community Kitchen, a local food kitchen, and Respite Care, a short term care facility for children with developmental disabilities.

Almost 100 members volunteered their sewing skills to tie 94 blankets, which will be distributed to local hospitals and nursing homes.

Meanwhile, a dozen members put on a lively, one-hour talent show for residents at the Lemay Avenue Health and Rehab Facility, while others distributed leaflets addressing West Nile preventative measures and the Dark Sky initiative throughout the town of Berthoud.

“The organizations for which we provided service were so grateful for the assistance,” stated Mary and Rob Harris, the organizers of this year’s day of service for the Loveland Stake. “We were able to accomplish a great deal in one day to help these organizations and outdoor areas, and give members the opportunity to provide service in areas of the community that perhaps they would not have otherwise had the opportunity.”

“I’ve helped to coordinate the Loveland Stake’s Colorado Cares Day service projects for the past seven years,” said Mary Peery, Director of Public Affairs for the Loveland Stake. “Each year, I’m touched by the spirit with which our members provide service for so many wonderful non-profit agencies across our communities, and how deeply appreciative the agencies are. We work in partnership with these agencies to identify a service that they are in need of and then our members come together to perform the service. Over the past seven years, over 4,000 members have volunteered their time, providing almost 8,500 hours of service. It’s just a wonderful way to help provide Christ-like love within our communities.”

For the past seven years, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have participated in Colorado Cares Day, a statewide day of service in honor of Colorado becoming a state on Aug. 1, 1876. The day has been set apart as an opportunity to help strengthen local communities through statewide service projects.

Several local social media outlets published information about this event, including the Loveland Reporter-Herald.