Here at Shadow Ridge, along with many other amazing clubs on campus, the Just Serve Club recently helped deliver birthday kits to elderly residents across Las Vegas, spreading joy and holiday spirit throughout the community.
Lauren Luth, a senior at Shadow Ridge and director of the Just Serve Club, helped create and lead the project.
Luth said, “I was looking on Just Serve for projects and found a lot asking for letters for the elderly in nursing homes. I realized I wanted to do a project that would bring love and joy to the elderly in our community. Then I got a call from the Regional Just Serve director asking if I wanted to put on a project for Sharon Eubanks, Chairman of the International Just Serve Advisory Board. I told her about my idea to help the elderly, and together we came up with the Birthday Kits project.”
Members of the Just Serve Club worked together to assemble the kits at Shadow Ridge, filling the cafeteria with students eager to serve and make a difference.
One participant, sophomore Audrey Luth, shared her experience, saying, “I thought it was such an amazing opportunity to serve others while having fun! Being able to help those who live in our community is a really cool experience!”
Those who volunteered expressed nothing but joy from the experience. The event ran smoothly, and everyone involved was happy to be there and contribute.
Lauren explained, “Each individual birthday kit included a handwritten card, streamers, birthday stickers, candles, and various party favors like bubbles, fire birthday glasses, and beaded necklaces. The boxes we donated also contained hand-drawn ‘Happy Birthday’ posters, a cupcake piñata, extra cards, party favors, and 50 birthday kits. We chose these items based on the donations we received.”
Although the project was planned in a short amount of time, it was a huge success.
Lauren stated, “I only had about two weeks to plan the entire event, so it was super fast but an awesome experience,” She continued, “We donated the birthday kits to the Elkhorn & Jones Memory Care Center and the Silver Springs facility. The kits are distributed by employees whenever a resident has a birthday. I’ve seen them use the streamers, stickers, and posters to decorate residents’ doors.”
The Just Serve Club at Shadow Ridge is dedicated to serving others, spreading kindness throughout the community, and helping high school students learn the importance of service at a young age.
