By: Justin Powell
Many things have changed in our lives and in society over the past 18 months. But, one thing that hasn’t changed is Youthlinc’s dedication to service. Our young humanitarians have continued to serve in any capacity they can to make their communities a better place, and have been very flexible in the midst of much change.
Our humanitarians continued to support the learning of students during a challenging school year, supported the refugee community through the Real Life program, supported healthcare workers, the homeless population, and any marginalized group they could. Over the past two Service Years, our humanitarians completed 19,769 service hours right here in Utah!
We were devastated to postpone all capstone international trips in the summer of 2020, but have been fortunate to send seven teams this summer to work with communities abroad with their goals of lifting communities out of poverty. Teams have served in Jamaica, Costa Rice, Peru, and Kenya. We look forward to serving alongside more of our international partners in 2022 as more of the world reopens safely.
This summer we held two alternative service experiences: a week-long local service experience with the Real Life program, learning from and service the local refugee population.
Another group took to the Four Corners area and worked at the White Mesa Community Center on the Ute Reservation and built a sheep pen and shade for a grandmother on Douglas Mesa on the Navajo Reservation. In addition to doing service, the team also soaked in a lot of learning about the native cultures in the area, enjoyed the beauty and majesty of Bears Ears and Monument Valley, and met with Navajo Strong and Dr. Bob McPherson to learn more about the efforts to support the rich cultures and needs of the area.
We are grateful to everyone in Youthlincland who has continued to serve despite Covid restrictions, and for their efforts to support their communities. We are excited to kick off another year of service where our collective impact will improve the lives of countless individuals as the magic of doing service continues to transform our own.