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Children from the Calgary Alberta Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took part in a service event on June 28, 2025, aimed at helping local youth. The participants decorated hygiene kits and filled backpacks with school supplies, which were donated to Hull Services (HS), an organization that assists children, youth, and families facing mental health challenges and other barriers.
The initiative was organized by local Church leaders. Humanitarian Services, the humanitarian arm of the Church, contributed 480 hygiene kits and 504 sets of school supplies. Local members also provided 75 new backpacks. The children volunteers added personal touches to the donations by decorating the hygiene kits with messages and stickers and including notes in each backpack.
Sheldon Smith, communication specialist at HS, said, “A lot of the kids we work with often show up at Hull with little or no belongings. Donations such as backpacks and hygiene kits help them out so much and provide many of those items we often take for granted. We are continually grateful for the support of community members such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
One young volunteer, Genevieve Smith, age 11, reflected on her participation: “It makes me feel like I’m doing something Jesus Christ would do.”
Eva Gonzalez, president of the Calgary Alberta Stake Primary organization for children, explained the motivation behind the effort: “We want our children to care deeply — not only for those within our faith but for others in our community who are facing real difficulties. Hull Services cares for some of Calgary’s most vulnerable children. They can use our support, even if it’s in a small way.”
Hull Services has been supporting mental health needs since 1962 and now provides assistance through education programs, low-income supports, residential programs, and foster care. In 2024 alone, HS served over 8,000 youth and their families across 28 different services.
Globally in 2024, Humanitarian Services supported nearly 4,000 projects focused largely on women’s and children’s well-being. All donations made to Humanitarian Services go directly to humanitarian projects because administrative costs are covered by The Church itself (see Humanitarian Services).
Gonzalez said about the experience: “We wanted to help the children strengthen a service-oriented heart.” For many young participants in Calgary this was both a service activity and an opportunity to learn empathy while supporting their peers.
