Sharon Eubank Joins JustServe and Community Volunteers in America250 Project in California 

“You are leaders in service,” Sharon Eubank, director of humanitarian initiatives for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told volunteers on Saturday, February 21, 2026, after an America250 food truck sponsored by the Church delivered an estimated 40,000 pounds of food to the South County Outreach in Irvine, California.

A local group of the Knights of Columbus from Laguna Niguel, Latter-day Saint young adults, and JustServe youth volunteers from several high schools joined together to sort and organize the boxes of food. Volunteers young and old worked together in assembly line fashion to move boxes onto pallets and load them into trucks for delivery to almost a dozen different charities in the area.

Eubank, who oversees the JustServe initiative as part of her role as the Church’s humanitarian director, took time to serve alongside and talk with volunteers. Many of the JustServe youth volunteers expressed their enthusiasm for the high school clubs and service opportunities offered through JustServe.

Brothers Henry and Jonas Takagi, both JustServe ambassadors in their area, drove a long distance to serve at the event. “It feels good to be able to help others who are in need,” Jonas Takagi said.

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For youth, choosing service is “definitely a better use of your time than just being on your phone,” Henry Takagi added.

As a parent, Brock Solano said he can see the benefits as his children have participated in service. “I see my children put down their devices and step outside of themselves to be able to think about others who are less fortunate,” he said. “Now they are the ones that are looking for the service projects. They are bringing friends and friends of other faith; it’s a unifying cause.”

Ron Calame from the Knights of Columbus, who has a long history of service, stood in the lineup alongside the teens passing along boxes. He said that in participating in a service organization, “our job is to really help people in need.”

In a meeting that followed the service event, Eubank took time to talk about and discuss JustServe with leaders from the Southern California area. “I’m passionate about the difference that service makes,” Eubank explained. “In humanitarian service, we have cash, we have commodities like the food today, but the most powerful thing we have is people. Relationships are what make the difference.”

JustServe programs currently operate in the United States and 17 other countries. The initiative includes the JustServe platform for finding local service opportunities, city programs that encourage volunteering, high school JustServe clubs, interfaith activities and training for JustServe specialists. JustServe leaders are instructed on how to build relationships and encourage nonprofit organizations to post activities on the JustServe app.

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Sheila Teevans, chief of staff at South County Outreach, who attended the event, said, “We are incredibly grateful for the partnership we have with JustServe.” South County Outreach provides educational services, food distribution and homeless prevention.

The organization, run by a small staff of 20 people, relies on the hundreds of volunteers. “Having those volunteer needs posted on JustServe is helping bring us incredible volunteers,” Sheila Teevans said. “We really love the JustServe volunteers. We can’t do it alone.”

“JustServe is meant to represent an idea or a movement that volunteerism is healthy,” Eubank said. “We want the community to be knit closer together.”

Nine-year-old Magnus Agle, who volunteered through JustServe with his family, spent his morning lifting boxes. “Just do it!” he said about service. “It gives you a good feeling.”

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