East Texas Food Bank hosts Global Youth Service Day event

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Kids from across East Texas came together for Global Youth Service Day in Tyler Sunday.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the East Texas Food Bank worked to organize the event to celebrate the nationwide effort of getting youth involved in community service.

“Well, it’s nice to know you are going to be a part of something that is going to make a difference. I mean, 300 youth is a lot of youth and it’s really comforting to know that this many youth have made the decision to come out here. It’s really good to know you get to be a part of something that big,” said Cohen Sacks, a youth volunteer for the event.

For 36 years, Global Youth Service Day has brought people together for community service events in their areas. This event highlights youth ages 5 to 25 as they unite for a great cause within their community. Across the globe the event begins on April 26, but in Tyler they are getting a head start on giving back.

“So the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been great partners to the East Texas Food Bank for years. We just came together on this day to get over 300 of their youth to come out and volunteer and help fight hunger. We want to bring awareness to what is going on out there, specifically the food bank, but all the hungry people here in East Texas,” said Tim Butler, the Chief Development Officer for the East Texas Food Bank.

2024 is the first year the group has collaborated for this event, and there are hopes it will continue for years to come. Even with longevity, the group hopes this will inspire them to do more than this event alone.

“The youth who will serve today, I hope will go away with a sense of gratitude for what they have and a sense of love and respect for those in the East Texas community that they are able to serve for this initiative,” said Daren Yeager, a member of the council for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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