Community Service Guidebook Justserve Supplement

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COMMUNITY SERVICE GUIDEBOOK JUSTSERVE SUPPLEMENT

COMMUNITY SERVICE GUIDEBOOK Contents 1. Successful Practices for Implementing JustServe 1 2. Missionary Community Service Guidelines 5 3. Desired Outcomes 8 4. Frequently Asked Questions 9 5. Additional Resources and Training Materials 13 As we work side by side and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases.

1. Successful Practices for Implementing JustServe Successful Practices for Stake JustServe Committees

Under the leadership of the chairman, committee members may be invited to assist with all or part of the stake JustServe committee’s general responsibilities. The chairman may consider the unique contributions that committee members or others in the stake may add because of their community involvement, life experiences, or Church callings. Less-active members or nonmembers may be considered to serve on the committee. Typically, wards and stakes have at least one member who is already involved in the community through his or her work or personal interests. To successfully implement the JustServe initiative in the stake, it should be introduced to the stake council.

Stake JustServe committees have used imaginative ways to find service projects to post on the website. Some committees have called a temporary representative from each ward to identify 3 to 5 projects. As a general rule, the stake director of public affairs or JustServe specialist takes the lead in contacting organizations and populating the website, although other committee members may assist. Stake Relief Society presidents take the lead in introducing JustServe to members, teaching them how to register and use the website, and encouraging participation in community service.

Recommended Responsibilities for Stake JustServe Committee Members Stake Director of Public Affairs or Stake JustServe Specialist

1. Identify, contact, and invite faith-based, nonprofit, community, and government organizations to post their volunteer needs on JustServe.org and spread the word about the website in the community.

1 2. Contact organizations in which you may have established annual days of service. Consider approving and posting these opportunities on JustServe.org.

Stake Relief Society Presidency

1. Help the committee identify organizations in the community that render humanitarian assistance. 2. Help identify service suitable for all ages. 3. Take the lead in introducing JustServe, teaching members to register and use the website, and encouraging participation in community service.

High Councilor over Missionary Work

1. Help missionaries find service opportunities on JustServe.org. 2. Encourage the committee to post service projects that enable missionaries to serve with those of other faith (or no faith) traditions. 3. Help to establish JustServe in the stake as a resource for real growth.

Mission Zone Leaders

1. Ensure that hours of service are reported. 2. Be familiar with the missionary JustServe guidelines. 3. Make the committee aware of service conflicts such as transfers, zone conferences, interviews, and missionary teaching priorities. 4. Receive authorization from the mission president if service requires missionaries to leave their zones. 5. Be prepared to share success stories as a result of missionaries’ service.

Stake Young Men and Stake Young Women Leaders, Young Single Adult and Single Adult Representatives

1. Help the committee post projects suitable for and of interest to youth and single adults.

2. Promote JustServe to all youth and single adults in the stake. 3. Remember not to overwhelm the youth with too much service.

Other Committee Members

1. Members of the stake public affairs council may serve as members of the stake JustServe committee. 2. The ward bishopric member who has responsibility for JustServe may help identify service opportunities within the ward and help train ward members.

2 Successful Practices for Introducing JustServe to Ward Members

1. Before encouraging members to sign up on JustServe.org, the committee should first post 15–20 recurring projects. Inviting members to register before projects are available can lead to discouragement and frustration. 2. The best way to introduce JustServe to the members of a ward is during a combined priesthood, Relief Society, Young Men, and Young Women meeting. With the bishop’s approval, there is no need to wait for a fifth Sunday. A combined meeting gives stake leaders and JustServe committee members 45 minutes to introduce JustServe and to answer questions. It helps to invite members to register as a volunteer during the introduction. Stake and ward priesthood leaders should be given time to speak about the doctrine of service and bear testimony of the blessings of service. 3. The least effective way to introduce the JustServe initiative is in sacrament meeting, stake conference, or a stake leadership meeting, when there are multiple objectives and time is limited. These other meetings are, however, ideal opportunities to share positive JustServe experiences and testimonies of service. 4. Assure members that JustServe is not a program to add to their “to-do” list or “guilt” list, nor is it a pretense for missionary work. Members and missionaries should volunteer out of love and a desire to serve in the community. Successful Ways to Approach Outside Organizations

Some people may be intimidated by approaching faith-based, nonprofit, community, and government organizations about JustServe. Consider using the following talking points:

1. To help organizations find volunteers willing to help, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has developed a website, JustServe.org, which is a service provided at no charge or obligation. 2. Expected outcomes for the Church:

▪▪ As we work side by side and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases and bridges can be built with those not of our faith. ▪▪ Missionaries are able to use their daytime hours for community service.

3. Expected outcomes for service organizations:

▪▪ By providing opportunities for service on JustServe.org, qualified organizations may receive volunteer service from Latter-day Saints and others in the community as their time permits. ▪▪ When appropriate, full-time missionaries may be invited to participate in projects.

4. Manage organization expectations:

▪▪ Never make commitments for the number of volunteers that may actually sign up for a service project posted on JustServe.org.

3 ▪▪ Explain that once there are a variety of projects listed, citizens in the community, including members, will be invited to sign up and volunteer. ▪▪ These things take time. Any decision to volunteer is made by the individual, not the Church.

5. Initially, all projects are vetted to ensure that they meet JustServe general guidelines (JustServe Community Service Guidebook, page 2). Once an organization agrees to comply with the general guidelines, they should be given basic administrative privileges on the website. 6. There are some simple guidelines:

▪▪ We prefer to work with organizations whose purpose includes helping those in need or improving the quality of life in the community and whose projects conform to the general guidelines. ▪▪ We are not seeking publicity for the Church, nor do we want to appear to compete with other faith-based organizations. ▪▪ We will not ask for donations; we simply want to help where we can. ▪▪ Although some of our volunteers are missionaries, they will not proselyte as they work. Of course, we may answer questions that may arise from others’ natural curiosity. They work in pairs, do not work with children under age 16, and do not use dangerous power tools. ▪▪ While serving, missionaries will wear appropriate work clothing and their customary name tags.

4 Encourage less-active members, part-member families, and investigators to participate with you in service opportunities.

2. Missionary Community Service Guidelines

Where approved, missionaries may use JustServe.org to help them find service opportunities (see Missionary Handbook, 39–40). JustServe.org enables people of all faiths to unite and provide service in their communities.

Responsibilities

1. Act according to standards appropriate for a servant of the Lord. 2. Always remain with your companion. 3. Wear your missionary name tag and clothing appropriate for the service activity. 4. Never work directly with children under 16 years of age or be alone with anyone of the opposite sex while working on JustServe projects.

5. Encourage less-active members, part-member families, and investigators to participate with you in service opportunities.

6. Keep mission priorities in order. Service is important, but it should not interfere with your greater purpose: finding, teaching, baptizing, retaining new converts, and activating less-active members.

▪▪ As a missionary, you will engage in planned service each week (Missionary Handbook, 39–40). You should not spend more than 10 hours per week in community service without permission from your mission president. Service should take place during daytime hours. Always get permission from your mission president before providing service on Sunday or preparation day.

5 ▪▪ Teaching appointments should not be canceled to accommodate service. ▪▪ Get approval from the mission president before scheduling a service activity before 10:00 a.m. or for community service exceeding four hours in a day.

7. Talk with everyone with whom you serve. Be cheerful and engaging. Ask others about their families and interests. We engage in Christlike service not only to bless others and improve the community but also to meet others and make new friends.

▪▪ We are not providing service to proselyte; however, you should feel free to ask and answer questions. ▪▪ If someone expresses an interest in learning about the Church, ask if there is another time or place where you could meet.

8. Be safe. Think safety first. Use proper lifting techniques. Stay hydrated in warm weather. Wear protective gear appropriate to the service activity (protective eyewear, gloves, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, sturdy shoes, hat, sunscreen, and so on). Call the mission president if you have any concerns about the safety of a service assignment.

Do not: ▪▪ Ride on trailers, tractors, mowers, or in the back of a truck. ▪▪ Operate power saws or drills, chain saws, tractors, riding mowers, hydraulic equipment, power washers, or non-mission vehicles. ▪▪ Go onto a roof. ▪▪ Climb higher than 6 feet off the ground or be in trenches deeper than 4 feet. Be sure to review safety instructions before using a ladder. ▪▪ Come into contact with poison oak, poison ivy, and other hazards.

Use with caution: ▪▪ Manual (nonelectric) hand tools like hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, push lawnmowers, saws, and box cutters. ▪▪ Small power tools like leaf blowers and weed whackers (protective eyewear is mandatory when using power tools).

9. Show up and be productive. ▪▪ Work with and engage community members. ▪▪ Show up! Don’t leave others waiting or develop the reputation of being unreliable. If you cannot make a service appointment, call the service provider and others who may have arranged the opportunity. ▪▪ Stay busy. If you finish a task and time allows, ask for something more to do. Pitch in and give it all you have.

6 ▪▪ Clean up and put away the tools after you are finished. ▪▪ Thank the provider for the opportunity every time. Make sure you have met their expectations. ▪▪ Before you leave, be sure everyone understands when the next appointment will be.

10. Be alert and look for service opportunities.

▪▪ As you work in your area, watch for opportunities to serve in food pantries, soup kitchens, other churches’ ministries, community centers, parks, and other locations. Let the zone leaders know about these opportunities so they can notify the stake JustServe committee.

7 Church members are discovering the blessings of service, building friendships, and sharing their experiences with others.

3. Desired Outcomes Desired Outcomes—How Will JustServe Success Be Measured?

1. Opportunities are posted on JustServe.org. By collaborating with posting organizations, the stake JustServe committee identifies, selects, and maintains approximately 15–20 recurring projects on JustServe.org, providing a variety of service opportunities. 2. Members understand JustServe and become community servants. Active members in each ward register on JustServe.org and know how to find service opportunities. Church members are discovering the blessings of service, building friendships, and sharing their experiences with others. 3. Missionaries are serving. Full-time missionaries are consistently engaged in community service each week. Working with others has led to positive interactions with community members and enhanced morale among missionaries.

8 4. Frequently Asked Questions ▪▪ A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained General Questions in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 related to Q1. What are “other prohibited activities” or engaging in political activities or a projects that should not be posted on JustServe.org? substantial amount of lobbying. Prohibited activities for JustServe projects 9. Conducting a voter registration include: drive or raising funds for voter registration drives. 1. Attempting to influence legislation. Q2. What projects are appropriate for 2. Organizing or engaging in protests, Church-coordinated volunteers (whether petitions, boycotts, or strikes. missionaries or Church groups)? 3. Assisting, promoting, or deterring Not all projects posted on JustServe.org union organizing. may be appropriate for Church-coordinated 4. Impairing existing contracts for services volunteers or families. To ensure that or collective bargaining agreements. opportunities are suitable, read the project description carefully before volunteering. 5. Engaging in partisan political activities or other activities designed to influence Church-coordinated volunteers should the outcome of an election to any not undertake projects that require them public office. to work one-on-one with children or vulnerable adults, to operate vehicles or 6. Participating in or endorsing events equipment that require training, to handle or activities that are likely to include cash, or to render a professional opinion, advocacy for or against political unless the faith, nonprofit, community, parties, political platforms, political or government organization assumes candidates, proposed legislation, or responsibility for their service. (Priesthood elected officials. and Relief Society leaders should comply 7. Engaging in religious instruction, with all other applicable policies relating to conducting worship services, providing Church activities. Please see Handbook 2: instruction as part of a program that Administering the Church [2010], chapter 13.) includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of Q3. What about liability insurance for those who religious proselytization. volunteer through JustServe.org? The Church does not provide liability 8. Providing a direct benefit to: insurance for volunteers. Some other ▪▪ A business organized for profit. volunteer organizations may. Please check ▪▪ A labor union. with the organization for whom you are providing services. (See Handbook 2, 13.6.9.) ▪▪ A partisan political organization.

9 Q4. Will the Church pay for background checks or Be careful not to overwhelm members with permits for volunteers? JustServe. This initiative and website are No. Generally, volunteers or the organizations designed to help parents and leaders find requiring background checks or permits opportunities to provide service and teach pay for this documentation. As a courtesy, their families, quorums, Relief Societies, and organizations requiring background checks classes to serve. It is a resource to help add a or permits should be made aware that LDS service component to many types of existing missionary volunteers do not have funds for teaching activities. this purpose and have frequent turnover. While we do not give assignments to Q5. May we post priesthood and Relief Society participate in JustServe, if there is a project of particular merit, or if a ward, quorum, or assignments? class chooses to adopt a project for service, JustServe.org is a community resource and invitations, announcements, and bulletins should not be used to post projects that may be used to make members aware of should be assigned under the direction the opportunity. of the priesthood or Relief Society (facility cleaning, welfare assignments, disaster JustServe.org relief assignments, etc.). A primary objective of JustServe is to encourage service in the Q9. Who posts the service projects on the facilities of other faith-based, nonprofit, and JustServe.org website? community organizations. The stake chairman of the JustServe committee Q6. May we post Eagle Scout projects? may designate any or all members of the Eagle Scout projects should not be posted, committee to post projects. They must be given although JustServe.org is a good place to basic administrator status on the website by the find prospective Eagle Scout projects. coordinating council director of public affairs or JustServe specialist. Q7. Should JustServe participants wear Mormon Faith-based, nonprofit, community, and Helping Hands vests? government organizations may also be given No. In order to align with the spirit and authorization by the coordinating council objectives of JustServe, members should not director of public affairs or specialist to post wear Mormon Helping Hands, JustServe, or their own projects on the website. Church or mission branded vests, uniforms, or clothing during their regular community Anyone who has a project proposal that meets service. In emergencies or natural disasters, the JustServe general guidelines may submit a officials may require volunteers to wear proposal through the website for consideration identification vests, uniforms, or clothing. by the local stake JustServe committee. Q8. What are some things to watch out for? Q10. How is an organization authorized to JustServe should not be introduced to ward post projects? members until there are at least 15–20 Faith-based, nonprofit, community, or projects in or near your stake boundaries government organizations with a history of listed on JustServe.org. Members may using volunteers or posting projects that become discouraged if they go to the website comply with JustServe general guidelines and find few or no opportunities applicable to (see page 3, “Successful Ways to Approach their circumstances and interests. Outside Organizations”) may be given basic

10 administrative rights to post projects to Q14. Can we use JustServe.org to respond to an JustServe.org without first obtaining approval emergency or natural disaster? from the JustServe committee. Coordinating Yes. Community requests for volunteers may Council JustServe specialists or directors of be posted on JustServe after an emergency public affairs have administrative rights to or natural disaster. Everyone in the community add administrators to the website. Nonprofit may then be directed to JustServe.org organizations who wish to post projects must to find ways to help. Priesthood directed verify their nonprofit status, for example, by relief assignments should not be posted on providing an IRS determination letter in the JustServe.org (see Q5). U.S. before they receive administrative rights to post projects directly to the website. Q15. Can a couple who shares an email address both register using that address? Q11. Once an organization receives No, each person who registers on authorization to post its own projects on the JustServe.org needs a unique email address. website, are those projects still approved by the stake JustServe committee? Projects No, because we trust that those organizations will post projects that fit the JustServe Q16. Will service organizations be disappointed guidelines. However, the Church, area, or if no volunteers show up? coordinating council specialists have the Manage the expectations of organizations. ability to delete a nonconforming project, Never make a commitment for the number if necessary. of volunteers who may sign up for posted Q12. Many projects require you to serve in opportunity. a physical location. What about projects Q17. Are there suggestions for helping stake involving the gathering of supplies or materials committees identify service opportunities? for an organization? Can those be posted on Cities and counties usually need help with JustServe.org? their parks and recreation departments, Any project that meets the JustServe community centers, and senior centers. guidelines can be posted on the website. Identify the faith-based organizations, and see This could include projects such as a food if there are ways we might help in their local drive, collecting coats, making blankets for charitable ministries. a hospital, and so forth. United Way hosts a website that identifies Q13. What about duplication? Is it a problem if organizations that provide many services to service projects are listed both on JustServe.org assist those in need. To find organizations and another website? in your area, simply go to the internet and This is not a problem because more search “211” and your state, county, or city exposure for the projects to prospective name. Most local governmental entities also volunteers is a positive thing. You may want maintain websites that identify charitable to provide a link to the other organization’s organizations, as do local food banks. website on the JustServe site. Q18. What if projects cross stake boundaries? If a project crosses stake boundaries, the stakes should decide at the coordinating council level which stake will be the liaison with the service organization.

11 Q19. How can someone volunteer an entire group Other to participate in a service project? Q24. How can we continue to remind each other If an organization has permitted groups to serve and use JustServe.org as a resource for to volunteer, you may sign up your group meaningful service? (for example, a Scout troop, quorum, or class) on JustServe.org or contact the Sharing positive stories about service is vital sponsoring organization. to the success of JustServe. The website is a good place to share success stories, Q20. Do I have to sign up for a project within my but it helps to publish and share good stake boundaries? experiences and ideas in other ways. Wards No, you may volunteer for any project on may place a short description of member the website. JustServe experiences in the sacrament meeting program. Social media is another Q21. How do annual Church service projects and way to share service experiences. Priesthood JustServe complement each other? leaders may share stories and experiences in Large annual service projects can meet local leadership meetings. There are many ways to priesthood objectives. Local committees share the joy of Christlike service. should work with their priesthood leaders to determine what works best for their areas. Q25. Should we send out press releases on This may include asking Church members JustServe projects? to give service to JustServe projects on a No. Any contact with the media should come specific date or time period in support of a through the sponsoring organization. larger state or Church area initiative. Q26. How can we share photos from Q22. How can we overcome the reluctance of JustServe projects? some organizations or churches to work with us? Please contribute these photos through the Begin with organizations with which you create.lds.org website: http://www.lds.org/ already have a relationship. Then build on topics/service/create/photos/get-involved. the success of those relationships as you reach out to other organizations. Encourage Please tag your photo with the phrase JustServe participating organizations to share “JustServe.” In the description section, please their successful experiences with others. include “JustServe” again, along with any Emphasize that we want to help them with essential details about the project or location. their projects. You may also share experiences and pictures on the JustServe.org Facebook page. Q23. Will missionaries register for projects on JustServe.org? In missions where missionaries have electronic tablets, they may download the JustServe app, register, and use the app to find and volunteer for projects near them. In missions without tablets, the mission JustServe specialist, coordinating with stake JustServe committees, may invite missionaries to participate in appropriate community service projects.

12 5. Additional Resources and Training Materials

For additional assistance with JustServe:

Contact your stake director of public affairs or JustServe specialist.

Contact your coordinating council director, area director of public affairs, or JustServe specialist.

Additional resources and training materials for JustServe may be found at www.justserve.org/resources.