OGDEN -- Want to tell others about how giving your community is?
Log onto United Way of Northern Utah's Light up the Season website, and you can read all about area acts of service or add your own brief story to the page. Covered with virtual Christmas lights, each one bears a name and an explanation of a good deed completed.
Organizers hope the website will fill with thousands of lights that explain as many acts of kindness or appreciations for service in the community.
"As lights are added to the website, United Way will also incrementally add holiday lights outside their building at 2955 Harrison Blvd. to represent the light people share with others this time of year," said Bruce Jacobs, executive director of community campaigns at United Way.
Some of the few dozen lights already posted were added anonymously. Those listings include helping clean a neighborhood after a windstorm, helping a young man get a job by giving him money for an identification card, helping feed those in need and buying school supplies.
Others represent groups and organizations. Orion Junior High School students told about the 6,206 pounds of food they collected and donated to the food bank. An ATK Aerospace posting told of employees providing Christmas for 50 children served by Prevent Child Abuse Utah.
A light representing The Boyer Company at Business Depot Ogden states that employees collectively helped with donations to United Way of Northern Utah.
Jacobs said he knows that area residents are looking for ways to provide service and make someone's life a little brighter.
"Much of this service goes unnoticed and unreported to the general public," he said. "But it means so much to the people whose lives are improved."
Jacobs gave three suggestions for holiday service. They are:
- Give a child Christmas by donating gifts or cash to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree or the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots programs.
- Provide food and/or shelter to a family by giving food or cash to local shelters and food banks.
- Perform any act of kindness toward someone else, describe an act of kindness you received or pay a compliment to somebody publicly.
More suggestions for holiday service may be found on the United Way of Northern Utah's main page at uwnu.org. The Light up the Season website is uwnu.org/WhatWeDo/HolidayLights.aspx. For more information, call the United Way of Northern Utah at 801-399-5584.
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