Heeding President Obama’s call for a National Day of Service and Remembrance, local congregations from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) spent September 11 participating in service projects up and down the Puget Sound region.

In Bellevue, members of the LDS Church focused on helping school-aged children get back to school by organizing a Back-to-School Drive that brought in everything from backpacks to pencils to sporting equipment.

“We wanted to find a service activity that would really impact our community and get us more involved,” said Kim Faddah, the organizer of the event. “We wanted to do something for kids and a Back-to-School Drive seemed like a great fit.”

Faddah worked with local members of her congregation to not only collect donations, but services as well. School-aged children received new clothes, books and other school supplies, which normally put a heavy toll on a families’ budget. In addition, hair stylists at the event gave free haircuts and photographers took back-to-school portraits.

“We heard about the event through our school district and we thought it would be a great way to get our kids ready for the new school year,” said Sarah Loveless, of Redmond. “We were even able to get our son Eric to sit down just long enough for a haircut and then pose for a back to school portrait.”

While the event was well attended, all leftover supplies will be donated to local organizations and distributed to school-aged children across the Northwest region. Also at the event were free instructional classes on healthy eating habits for before and after school snacks.

“We want to send out a special thank you to Smith Brothers Farms who donated 200 Half-Pint containers of milk,” Faddah said. “We used the milk to accompany apple crisp as a refreshment for all those who made their way out to the event.”

The Back-to-School Event wasn’t the only service activity taking place in the Bellevue area. Local LDS congregations also spent time preparing 200 care packages for troops stationed overseas and clearing out invasive weeds around the Tradition Lake Plateau. In addition volunteers painted Mamma’s Hands House of Hope on the Eastside, built a shed and re-stained and sealed benches at the House of Hope amphitheater.

“The National Day of Service provided members of our community with a great opportunity to reach out and serve those around us,” said Greg Mackay, of Bellevue. “These unified efforts symbolize a meaningful way to remember those who have lost their lives for their country and demonstrate the power of collaborative work efforts on behalf of others.”