A little over a year ago, my family moved to the south Utah County area, and immediately upon arrival, we were showered with kindness and service. Several days worth of meals were brought to our home along with welcome packages. At the time, we had a newborn baby and a 2-year-old in a half body cast from a toddler-induced accident. There was no shortage of help given, and kind words and prayers offered on our behalf.
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Since moving here, our family has had our garden area that was run over by weeds, tilled while we were out of town by a neighbor who knew we had wishes of starting a garden. The same neighbor and several others have shared with us their garden surplus. We have had community members allow our sons to do yard work to help earn fees for athletic teams. We have had neighbors feed our dog while we were out of town. Coming home from vacation last year, our tire blew, with debris damaging our car, and a man helped us coast safely down Spanish Fork Canyon, giving us water and beef jerky to boot. And recently, with the arrival of our ninth child, we were yet again provided meals to ease the transition at home with a new baby and healing mother.
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During our 18 months in this wonderful community, each member of my family can without hesitation say, “I was served.”
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I recently asked other community members to share experiences when they have been served, and here is what some of them had to say:
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Doug Welton, Payson City Councilman:
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“My old neighbor (I moved to the other side of town) always plants peas in front of his house. They’re huge and they are for anyone who wants them. Once the peas are gone he plants green beans and tomatoes for anyone and everyone to have. He is one of the most generous individuals and neighbors I have ever had.”
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Anonymous teacher:
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“A fellow teacher that I work with got really sick this school year, and because of this, the class had a different sub every day. It was hard on those little first graders, not to have consistency. A parent (CathyAnn Burton) of one of the children in the class was concerned. Instead of complaining, she went and got certified to be a substitute and was on call to sub that class whenever it was needed. While she did get paid, she put everything on hold to be available for that classroom of children.”
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We at Serve Daily know there are countless acts of service happening in the community. If you have been the recipient of service, or have witnessed others being served, email your story to ariannebrown1@gmail.com. Your story may be featured in our new, “I was Served” column.
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