Howard County Makes History As First JustServe County East Of Rockies

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Officials announced this week that Howard County has become the nation's first JustServe county east of the Rocky Mountains, offering people an easy way to find volunteer opportunities in their area.

JustServe is a free community-wide online platform that includes a website and app where nonprofits, schools, faith groups and government agencies can post real volunteer projects for anyone in the community to find.

The platform was created and is maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a public service and offered at no cost to organizations and volunteers of any background or belief.

“Here in Howard County, we are committed to promoting the power of volunteerism and emphasizing that it’s not just a duty, but a source of personal fulfillment that strengthens communities, builds new friendships and allows us to better understand one another,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference.

Like its JustServe City Program, the nonprofit’s growing JustServe County Program provides local governments with support to boost volunteerism in their communities.

While Howard County is the first JustServe County East of the Rocky Mountains, the county joins fellow Maryland cities - Annapolis, Brunswick, Frederick, Hagerstown, Middletown, New Carrollton and Takoma Park - who have all earned the “JustServe City” designation.

“In being declared JustServe’s first ‘JustServe County’ East of the Rocky Mountains, and becoming a part of this global volunteerism movement, we will be able to further empower our community members to spread hope, goodness and unity and promote positive change in our community by donating their time through volunteering,” Ball added.

A designated “JustServe County” is a county that has formally committed itself to promoting and supporting volunteerism and creating a culture of service. This past June, Ball signed an executive proclamation declaring June 13 as “JustServe Day” in Howard County.

“Service, our sharing of the load someone else carries, increases our personal capacity to love, extends healing hope and lifts all involved,” added Loren Lund, president of the Columbia Maryland Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the local JustServe spokesperson.

Launched in February 2012 as a localized effort to help individuals make volunteering a way of life, JustServe has since grown into a global movement available in 17 countries across North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Since its inception, more than one million people have signed up on JustServe, with more than 124,000 new volunteers joining this impactful movement each year.

JustServe works with nearly 20,000 partnering organizations to offer more than 34,000 new projects yearly where participants can lend a helping hand and improve the lives of community members.