‘Show Up’ initiative promotes community service and how to get involved
Jun 14, 2023, 6:00 AM
University of Utah Population Health Sciences Research Assistant Professor Nasser Sharareh said that immigrants are very vulnerable to experiencing food insecurity. (Laura Seitz/Deseret News)
(Laura Seitz/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — First Lady Abby Cox believes community service is not only a way to help your neighbors, but a way to connect with them as well. And she said that making a difference is often as easy as just showing up.
Show Up for Service initiative
Cox created the Show Up for Service initiative as a way to make it easier for Utahns to find places and people to serve. She told KSL NewsRadio’s Inside Sources that families across the state want involvement in volunteering, but just don’t know the best place to start.
“We have a whole, you know, 1000s of nonprofits throughout the state that need volunteers,” she said. “And they’re looking for families that are ready to volunteer.”
Cox said it’s critical to teach the importance of service to children. The best way to do this, she said, is to lead by example.
“We’ve been known in Utah as the service state, as the volunteerism state,” said Cox. “Unless we’re intentional about perpetuating this through the next generations, it may not always be that way.”
The benefits of community service
Cox said service benefits those we help and has a positive impact on our lives as well.
“When we look outside of ourselves and we teach our children to do that, we know that that is connected to better mental health, better physical health,” she said.
With steadily increasing online connections, Cox said these opportunities to come together and connect in person are even more valuable.
“This is an opportunity for us to put away the phones,” she said. “Really connect with humans.”
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