Local Mormons Respond To Governors' Call To Feed The Hungry And Heal The Planet In Mid-Atlantic Day To Serve

Local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” or “LDS”) are answering Governor Terry McAuliffe’s invitation to join an interfaith effort to serve the community as part a wide-reaching regional “Day to Serve” from September 11 to 28. Along with other faiths and community organizations, LDS members are participating in an initiative led by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia, and the mayor of the District of Columbia to support local food banks, improve the environment, and engage in other worthy causes.

The LDS Church has been a leading partner in Day to Serve since its inception 2011. This year, Elders L. Tom Perry and M. Russell Ballard of one of the Church’s governing bodies, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, issued a special video about the importance of the project.

Keith Davey, President of the Mount Vernon Virginia Stake (the equivalent of a diocese and one of eight stakes participating in Northern Virginia), explained why the 5,500 Mormons in this area are excited to take part: “Day to Serve unites people of all faiths, races, cultures, and backgrounds. Our Savior Jesus Christ is the perfect example of service. The Mount Vernon Virginia Stake now has a wonderful opportunity to follow in His footsteps. We accept the challenge to join again in service this year. ”

Paul Reagan, chief of staff to McAuliffe, said, “Day to Serve is a credit to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the many other faith groups that make it happen every year.”

Media visits can be arranged to any of the local events held by members of the Mount Vernon Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These projects, part of a Fairfax County Government Clergy and Leadership Council partnership with Day to Serve, include:

• Packaging meals for overseas shipment with Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and Catholic congregations who all have buildings on 23rd Street in Crystal City (Sept. 13).

• Gleaning at a farm in Winchester to benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center (Sept 20).

• Assembling hygiene kits and food bags (100) with United Methodist and Heritage Presbyterian to benefit the Food for Others, Rising Hope UMC, and Fairfax County Schools (Sept. 20).

• A clean-up at the Fort Ward Park in Alexandria with Oakland Baptist Church (Sept. 27).

In 2013, over 44,000 Day to Serve volunteers of all faiths donated almost 1 million pounds of food, planted 1,600 trees, and rendered more than 140,000 hours of service. The Nationals baseball team and Harris Teeter hosted a Day to Serve food drive on August 9 to benefit Capital Area Food Bank and the Baltimore Orioles will hold another event on September 15 to benefit the Parks and People Foundation.

Learn more about Day to Serve in Virginia here. Visit Day to Serve on Facebook here. Follow Day to Serve on Twitter at @daytoserve and using the hashtag #daytoserve.

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