Heber, Midway and Kamas community leaders teamed up to organize service projects for the annual 9/11 National Day of Service.
Spud Beckstrom from MVF Church said the service projects are to honor 9/11 first responders.
“We want to honor them by following their lead. They are people who run into service no matter what's going on,” he said. “Years ago, we asked them about 9/11 day and how we can honor them, and they simply just want us to serve our community and make our community better.”
Community members were able to choose from six projects, including cleaning up Highway 189, the Wasatch High School Stadium and Timpanogos Valley Theatre, weeding community gardens, making fleece blankets for the Women’s Correctional Facility and making mats out of plastic bags for people experiencing homelessness.
Angela Havlock from Stitching Hearts Worldwide led the mat-making. Some volunteers cut plastic bags to create loops, others tied the loops together and wove them through a loom.
Havlock said the mats will be given to people experiencing homelessness and refugees without shelter.
“They're lightweight, they're easy to keep clean,” she said. “It takes about 480 bags per mat, and then they can take it wherever they go and they keep 40 degrees warmer than sleeping on the ground, and it's actually pretty comfortable when you lay down on it.”
Tiffany Jones and her kids were helping to weave the mats together.
“This is fun!” one child said.
“Service is good. It's fun,” Jones said. “I love bringing my kids and helping them feel that they're part of a community and doing good for others.”
MVF Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Latinos in Action, Relief Society and Just Serve each supported and organized the service efforts.
