October 6, 2025, 8pm mdt
The main children of the Peralta Trail Arizona Stake brought joy and light to the community by planning and hosting a free car wash and toy drive in Mesa, Arizona on September 11th.
The car wash was completed with fresh lemonade, colorful signs, clean cars, handmade air clean shaped like sun and stars. Visitors to the car wash met with wide smiles and left their hearts completely as they had the opportunity to donate toys to the children’s hospital. The organizers shared it with JustServe.
Fifty-five cars were washed, eight gallons of lemonade were provided, 63 air cleanser were handed out, 49 toys were donated, and 48 children attended throughout the day.
“The joys and principles taught by serving others are valuable,” Lean Merrill, the primary president of Peralta Trail Stakes, told Jasstove.
In early 2025, the major presidency invited all major organizations to participate in the annual service project and continue their 147-year legacy of service in the community.
“We hope that this global effort will help children realize that they are an important part of the Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ and can contribute in meaningful ways,” the statement said. “As the children serve, they grow in love for the Savior and feel joy as they share his love with others.”
While these children in Arizona shared their love, the major children in New Mexico stock in Albuquerque had completed their own acts of service.
The major children gathered other members of the stock to carry out acts of service across the community in the weeks leading up to the 9/11 service project.
Relief Society members, elder quorum, young women and young men’s class and quorum added colorful pompoms to the jar for each act of service they reported. As the bottle grew and grew, it became a reminder of the joys of being seen serving others around it.
On September 11th, children, leaders and families assembled a service bag with food, toiletries, diapers, wipes and other essentials from the New Mexico Dream Center. The center is helping children and teens experiencing homelessness and is escaping the dangers of the situation.
Similarly, the main children took the lawyers of Gordon B. Hinckley, the late church president, to “make it a little better” and “roll up the sleeves” for the April 1995 general conference.
The children helped repair fences, rebuild and stain the decks, and repair the kitchen cabinets. The primary took part in all aspects of the project.
“The kids worked hard all summer to prepare and collect donations,” said Curry Bauers, a Jassaab area specialist. “They had a great time and did very good things to the centre of their dreams.”
The New Mexico Dream Center and the children were both affected by the joys of the service event, organizers reported.
“Serving at the Dream Center made me very happy inside,” said 11-year-old Luke Bauers.
Both of these activities were in conjunction with JustServe 9/11 service. Every September, the community pauses to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001 and provide a sense of hope, healing and gratitude. Each service opportunity stands as a way to celebrate the past and build a better future.
In a JustServe report on September 11, they said the projects “reminded that services are powerful unitaries that unite communities, turn pain into purpose, and respect the sacrifices of those who have come before us.”
