Personal Progress Project Ideas

Personal Progress Project Ideas

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Do the 12 Days of Christmas for someone who could use a lift in their life. Make it meaningful.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Providing a large family with the “12 Days of Christmas” anonymously, of course!

72-HOUR KITS: Prepare 72 hour kits for each member of your family and present a FHE lesson on emergency preparedness. Help plan a family emergency plan.

ADULT PROM: Our Laurels are planning an Adult Prom for the adults in our ward who want to go out on dates and go to dances but the days are long gone. Have the girls prepare decorations, find music, provide nursery, make invitations, and run the prom night.

ADULT PROM: Two other Laurels and I held an adult prom for the adults in our stake. We did table centerpieces, decorations, and took pictures with the theme “A night under the stars.” We also had finger foods and punch.

ANIMAL SHELTER: Spend time at the dog/cat pound doing service there and taking care of animals

ANIMAL VOLUNTEER WORK: Volunteer at a veterinarian’s office or the Humane Society.

AUTO MECHANICS: Learn about cars and help fix one up.

BABY BASKETS: Making baby quilts and presenting these to new mothers in the ward along with “baby baskets” filled with essential baby items ~ we have the mothers come and share their feelings in Opening Exercises when the quilts and baskets are presented.

BABY QUILTS: Make baby quilts to take to hospitals for women on welfare.

BABYSITTING: Provide babysitting for the nursery for Homemaking for 6 months. Plan activities for the children.

BABYSITTING: Provide free babysitting for 6 months for a couple every other week for them to go to the temple or on a date. Plan activities for the children. If age appropriate, activities could teach them about the temple.

BAPTISM BOOKS: We put together Baptism books for 8 yr olds getting baptized. We made up pages about baptism, about covenants made, pages for them to glue in their picture, a copy of the program, some pictures of the Savior, and some fun activity pages for them to do puzzles or draw. All relating to baptism. Then we covered the little books with report covers. They turned out very nice as we did most of the pictures and pages on the computer. We put on the back “Made for you, with love. From the Mia Maids” and the date. The Primary kids seemed to really like them and the girls were really proud. I have an example book here at home if anyone is interested in further detail.

BAPTISM REVIEW: Meet with those who are getting ready for baptism (children turning 8 or converts). Have a lesson prepared on the commitment of Baptism and Confirmation, and the blessings you receive from these ordinances.

BAPTISMAL CLOTHES: Learn to sew and make some baptismal clothes for the ward.

BEEHIVE HELPS: Help make awards, binders, bookmarks, or other YW memorabilia for the incoming Beehives or upcoming activities.

BLANKET/COAT DRIVE: Plan and organize a blanket or coat drive at a time other than the holiday season.

BLOOD DRIVE: Another young woman went through the High School and got permission and organized a blood drive at the High School on a Saturday.

BLOOD DRIVE: Organize a blood drive.

BOOK DRIVE: Organize a book drive for homeless shelters or hospitals. Children’s hospitals are always in need of paper-back and regular books for kids of all ages. Teenagers included.

CANNED FOOD DRIVE: Planning and implementing a canned food drive in the community. Gathering clothes to be taken to Mexico: pick-up, cleaning clothes, sorting by size, gender, seasons; packing and delivery to appropriate people in the community)

CANNING: Learn how to can fruit.

CARD DRIVE: Organize a card drive in your ward for the Ronald McDonald House – They want cards (new handmade or store bought) or card fronts (used). All houses have a need for cards to give to the families for the sick children. The families use them to cheer up the sick ones or to thanks others who help their family during their time of need. You can donate directly to your local Ronald McDonald Houses as well. It would save you the cost of postage. Over 700 cards were donated this year.

CAREER CHOICES: Choose a career field in which you have interest. Contact someone in that field and volunteer your time to learn about that specific field.

CARS: Learn about cars and help fix one up.

CHEMO BASKETS: We have had a couple of girls make “chemo baskets” and took them to the Cancer Treatment Center so patients that had to travel a long ways for their chemo treatments had some comforting things to help them that they may have forgotten to bring. The baskets contained a pair of socks, the Young Woman made lap blankets because chemo patients get very cold during their treatment, hard candy, a pack of gum, lotion, a trial size packet of baby wipes, a small trash can with a box of liners (in case the patient gets sick on the travel home). I know she had put a couple of other things in the basket but I cannot remember what. She donated these to the Cancer Center but the baskets were given to patients anonymously. However, the hospital wrote the young women who did this and told them that they will never understand how much their baskets meant to the patients.

CHILD SAFETY: Have a summer safely block party for the kids in your neighborhood. You can include games and a state trooper talking to the kids about the buddy system.

CHILD SAFETY: One of our girls worked with the local police department and set up a booth for parents to fill out all information on their children in case they went missing. This was a big hit in our area and the police dept. was quite impressed and wanted to know if one of our young women would do this every year. This was done during the 24th of July celebration so this young woman was able to reach practically every member of our stake.

CHILDREN’S GAME: Create a children’s game that will help a child learn a principle of the gospel, such as making correct choices.

VOLUNTEER: Teach reading or language skills to someone in need of help.

CHILDREN’S STORIES: Record children’s stories on tape and make puppets or flannel board characters to go along with stories. Donate to a children’s hospital or domestic abuse shelter.

CHILDREN’S OLYMPICS: Plan and organize a children’s “Olympics’” in your ward. Talk to the Primary president and ask for names of children who are less active or are struggling. Make it a whole day event. Plan fun events and have awards at the end. Make sure each group gets an award of some kind. You could make the events gospel related.

CHILDREN’S STORIES: Record children’s stories on tape and make puppets or flannel board characters to go along with stories. Donate to a children’s hospital or domestic abuse shelter.

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE U.S.: Help someone who needs a lift this Christmas season. Have Christmas cards sent from people living in each of the 50 states.

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD: Help someone who needs a lift this Christmas season. Get people from many different countries or nationalities to send a Christmas card, or call to wish them a Merry Christmas.

CHRISTMAS HELP: Schedule and plan specific times at a domestic abuse shelter or homeless shelter for the children to make Christmas ornaments and the moms could do a craft. On other months besides Christmas you could do other crafts, stories or skits.

CLOTHING DRIVE: Have a clothing drive. Make boxes to place around the building and asked members donate the clothes. Launder, separate, and fold all the donations. Take them to a shelter. (Check first with the shelter first to determine needs, etc.)

COLLECTION OF TALENT: Create and make a collection of your own writings, musical compositions, or graphic art work.

COLLEGE PREP: Do research on various colleges and make a comparison chart. What are the requirements to get in? What are the tuition costs? What programs are offered?

COLLEGE PREPARATION CLASS: Put together a “Plan for College” evening or Saturday afternoon for the young men and young women with sessions on college preparation, scholarships, high school academics and other associations (clubs, etc.), study habits, budgeting, cooking, etc.

CRAFTS: Make something that could be of value to your posterity such as a piece of needlework, a family flag, a coat of arms, or a quilt.

CREATE A BOOK: One of our Young Women did something so great. She has a little brother who is four years old and loves books. She sat down with him and they made up a story with him as the hero of the story. She wrote it down and then secretly made him his own storybook… complete with pictures of him, colored illustrations, etc. She then had it laminated and bound and gave it to him. Her Mom reports he just LOVES “his” book.

CREATE A CLUB: Organize a Family History or Genealogy Club in your school. The Family History Center can provide you with information to help you get started.
CREATE WEB PAGE: Design, create and post an Internet web page on which to share your family’s genealogical data.

CROCHET/QUILT: Learn how to crochet or quilt. Make 1st college blanket, make 1st wedding quilt, or make 1st baby blanket for yourself or for someone else.

CROCHET: Learn to crochet and crochet afghan squares for the Red Cross “Warm Up America” Program. They will put the blankets together; they just need people to make the squares (7″x9″ rectangle). For information call (704) 824-7838, or Warm Up America!, c/o Craft Yarn Council, 2500 Lowell Rd., Gastonia, NC 28054

CROSS-STITCH: Learn to cross-stitch and make a picture of your favorite temple or a family tree.

CULTURAL ARTS EVENT: With the approval of a member of the bishopric, organize and conduct a cultural arts event for your ward or community. Coordinate this activity with the ward calendar through you Young Women President.

DECORATING: Re-decorate your bedroom. Stick with a budget. Learn how to properly prepare to paint, wallpaper, or whatever you desire. Research topics, ideas and carry out.

DONATED TIME: Call LDS or regular bookstores and donate time.

DRUG-ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM: Organize and carry out a substance abuse prevention program in your school or community.

ELDERLY HELP: Volunteer your time to go visit an elderly person in our ward on a regular basis. Offer to do housework or just sit and talk.

FAMILY NEWSLETTER: Design and compile a family newsletter. Include information about your immediate family, your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to include in the newsletter. You can also include information on your family history. Prepare several issues of your newsletter and send them to your relatives via email or regular mail.

FAMILY HERITAGE SYMBOL: Make something that could be of value to your posterity such as a piece of needlework, a family flag, a coat of arms, or a quilt.

FAMILY HISTORY: Learn about the types of records used in Family History Research. Decide upon a particular type of record that you might like to become expert in, such as census or probate records. Learn all you can about that type of record: where to find it, how to use it, what type of information you can gain from it, etc. Find records of that type that contain information on your ancestors.

FAMILY HISTORY BOOKS: Compile a list of enjoyable youth targeted books involving a family history theme. Examples are “They Were Strong and Good” by Robert Lawson and “Family Tree” by Katherine Ayres. Provide a brief synopsis of each book and donate the list to your local public library, genealogical society and Family History Center.

FAMILY HISTORY CENTER SERVICE: Years of genealogical research are often donated to Family History Centers because relatives do not know what else to do with it after the researcher has died. Contact your Family History Center to see if they have any collections of donated research that you can organize and prepare for microfilming.

FAMILY HISTORY CRAFT: Using calligraphy, needlework, woodcarving, wood burning or some other technique, create a family tree suitable for framing.

FAMILY HISTORY FAIR: Organize a family history fair for your ward, stake or community.

FAMILY HISTORY PROJECT: Help make it easier for yourself and others to locate vital records by participating in the FamilySearch Indexing project. Encourage your entire YW class to sign up as indexing volunteers.

FAMILY HISTORY STORIES: Find stories of experiences, personalities, etc. of ancestors and put together a book of ancestral history that takes a more personal look into their lives.

FAMILY HOME EVENING FOR A YEAR: One YW did a year’s worth of family home evenings, with all the flannel board pictures and props….tons of work, but what a wonderful resource for her future family as well as her present one.

FAMILY HOME EVENINGS: One YW did a year’s worth of family home evenings, with all the flannel board pictures and props….tons of work, but what a wonderful resource for her future family as well as her present one.

FAMILY HOME EVENINGS: Plan and organize Family Home Evenings for an entire year. Plan lesson topics, spiritual thoughts and songs. If you have younger brothers and sisters put together flannel board stories, etc.

FAMILY NEWSLETTERS: Create a family newsletter for a year and distribute to all relatives every 3 months. Check with all of them for ongoing events in everyone’s lives. Have one person each month send in a spiritual message on a certain subject. Example, have Uncle Joe send you his message on “The Joys of Freedom” for the July newsletter. You could have crossword puzzles, thoughts, funny quotes, funny memories, announcements, etc.

FHE PACKETS: Make Family Home Evening packets to use with your future families.

FINGER PUPPETS: Make finger puppets for a children’s hospital. When they prick fingertips, they like to give them a finger puppet because they do it so often. Children’s Hospital in Seattle goes through 50 each day.

FIRESIDE PLAY: When I was a Laurel, I wrote a play (one act about 20-25 minutes) and put it on with another Laurel and a little girl from primary for a fireside one Sunday.

FIRST AID COURSE: Complete a certain first-aid course, including CPR training, and serve as a volunteer in teaching first-aid skills.

FREE BABY-SITTING: Provide free baby-sitting for 6 months for a couple every other week for them to go to the temple or on a date. Plan activities for the children. If age appropriate, activities could teach them about the temple.

FRIENDSHIP QUILT: Make a “friendship quilt”. Hand out fabric squares to your friends, have them decorate them and give them back to you. Make a quilt to help you remember each friend through the years.

FUNDRAISER: Organize and direct a special fundraiser to benefit your local genealogical or historical society.

FUN NIGHT OF SERVICE: Plan and organize a fun night of songs and funny skits for a domestic abuse shelter or nursing home. Call local florists and see if they would donate flowers. Put together little booklets called “Messages of Hope” for the women. In the booklet put quotes on hope, courage, and determination from church leaders. Coordinate w/everyone what they are doing. Make sure you have some fun songs and skits but also some that will touch their hearts, i.e. You’re Not Alone, Walk Tall, etc. Get permission to make little loaves of banana bread for the moms and little goody bags for the kids.

FUN NIGHT OF SONGS: Plan and organize a fun night of songs and funny skits for a domestic abuse shelter or nursing home. Call local florists and see if they would donate flowers. Put together little booklets called “Messages of Hope” for the women. In the booklet put quotes on hope, courage, and determination from church leaders. Coordinate w/everyone what they are doing. Make sure you have some fun songs and skits but also some that will touch their hearts, i.e. You’re Not Alone, Walk Tall, etc. Get permission to make little loaves of banana bread for the moms and little goody bags for the kids.

GARDEN: Maintain a garden for a season.

GARDEN: Plant a vegetable garden.

GARDENS: Plan and care for a vegetable garden or maintain your family’s or someone else’s yard for three months without pay.

GENEALOGY: Plan and complete a personal history on each parent, and all your grandparents. Type them up nicely and present them as gifts to other family members.

GENEALOGY: If your family’s genealogical data is not already entered into a computer database take on the project to do so. Find a software program, install it onto your computer and learn to use the program. A good software program to use, Personal Ancestral File (PAF) is available for free download at www.familysearch.org.

GENERAL CONFERENCE: One of the things that I’ve had girls do for just about any value is watch the DVDs of conference, all 4 sessions, and the Young Women general session. They then write in their journal how it applies to the value that they are working on and how it affects their life. (Idea by Jill Hansen)

GOSPEL CHILDREN’S GAME: Create a children’s game that will help a child learn a principle of the gospel, such as making correct choices.

HAIR SCRUNCHIES: Make barrettes or hair scrunchies for at the temple or temple clothes for children being sealed to their parents.

HANDIWORK SKILL: Learn to quilt, knit, crochet, cross stitch, etc. and complete a project.

HAPPY HATS: Call around to athletic clothing distributors and see if anyone will donate plain baseball caps. Send a sign-up sheet around in R.S. and ask women in ward to donate things to decorate them with (pom-poms, wiggly eyes, pipe cleaners, silk flowers, ribbon, little army guys, small plastic dinosaurs, fabric paint, patches, etc.) Make “Happy Hats” and deliver to children at domestic abuse shelter, homeless shelter, or children’s hospital.

HOLIDAY BABY-SITTING: Offer free baby-sitting around the holidays so families can do their shopping.

HOLIDAY BAGS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER: Make holiday bags for the children at a local cancer treatment hospital, due to the fact that these children locked away in far corners of the hospital, can be forgotten. Include in the bag teddy bears that you sew on your own. Throw in a candy cane or 2 and a little holiday note.

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS: Our Laurel class made arrangements to go to the children’s ward of a hospital on a monthly basis and decorate for the different holidays. For one weekday activity we would make the decorations, and then on Sunday we would take them to the hospital to put up on the walls. We did this for about 7 months. We also have had several different service projects where we sewed bibs for a women’s shelter and have gone to the local food bank and also the bishop’s storehouse. –Dari Davis, Springfield, VA

HOMELESS SHELTER HELP: Plan and organize a drive for a homeless shelter for household items such as towels, dishes, appliances, sheets, etc.

HOMELISS DRIVE: Plan and organize a drive for a homeless shelter for household items such as towels, dishes, appliances, sheets, etc.

HOMEMAKING SKILL: Learn and practice a homemaking skill such as cooking or sewing. (20 hours worth should teach them well)

HOPE CHEST WOODWORKING: Learn to do woodworking and make yourself a hope chest.

HOSPITAL HOLIDAY HELP: Our Laurel class made arrangements to go to the children’s ward of a hospital on a monthly basis and decorate for the different holidays. For one week day activity we would make the decorations, and then on Sunday we would take them to the hospital to put up on the walls. We did this for about 7 months. We also have had several different service projects where we sewed bibs for a women’s shelter and have gone to the local food bank and also the bishop’s storehouse.

HOSPITAL RECEIVING BLANKETS: Sew flannel receiving blankets for babies at a children’s hospital.

HOSPITAL WHEELCHAIR BAGS: Make bags that fit over the back of a wheelchair. Donate to a children’s hospital. They are always in need of them.

IMPROVE TALENTS: Take a class to improve a talent such as singing, dance, piano lessons, etc. Maybe organize a night where you and other young women could share their talents.

JOB INTEREST: Choose a career field in which you have interest. Contact someone in that field and volunteer your time to learn about that specific field.

JOURNAL JAR: Make a “Journal Jar” for each member of your family, including yourself. Encourage everyone to start their own personal history. Gather all the info at the end of a year and put everyone’s history into one big family one. (For info on “Journal Jars”, click here)

KNITTING: Learn to knit and knit booties for babies at a children’s hospital, homeless shelter, domestic abuse shelter or any hospital. Always a need for these!!

KNOWLEDGE: Learn how to stencil, wallpaper and paint. Redo a room in your house.

LAUREL PLAQUE: Someone in our Stake had a Laurel make a plaque (like they have for the Eagle Scouts) for all the girls in their ward who received their YW Medallions. I think that’s a great idea myself, and have considered having one of our Laurels do it.

LEPER BANDAGES: Make bandages for leper colonies. They are actually in great need, in foreign countries and even in some places in the US, leper colonies are common. (Note from Lorrie: there is a link on the Service page for the LDS Humanitarian Services and directions for making leper bandages)

LIFE HISTORY: Write the life history of an ancestor. Research the life styles of the time and important local, state, national, and world events that may have affected your ancestor. Combine what you have learned with the facts you know about that ancestor.

LOCAL CHILD CARE HELP: Call local child care places and ask if there is a need for certain items. Maybe you can volunteer your time to read or do a craft. Maybe there is something you could make for them of help them prepare (cut-outs, etc.).

MEMORIZE: Memorize “The Living Christ”.

MENTOR: Mentor one of the younger girls through her personal progress–especially one who doesn’t have the support of her parents.

MIRACLE OF FORGIVENESS: Read the “Miracle of Forgiveness”, look up every scripture you can find on repentance and forgiveness, keep a journal while doing so, and make some personal goals between you and your Father in Heaven for 3 months. Make a visual reminder.

MISSION PREPARATION: With the approval or member of the bishopric, organize and carry out a mission preparation experience for the young men and young women in your ward.

MISSIONARIES DISCUSSION: With your Bishop’s approval, learn all the missionary discussions by heart and offer to go on splits w/the ward and stake missionaries for 4 months when they are teaching women.

MISSIONARY WORK: With the approval of your bishop and the mission president responsible for your area, work with full-time sister missionaries on a regular basis.

MODESTY FASHION SHOW: Plan and carry out a modesty fashion show.

MODESTY: Make modest clothing.

MUSEUM VOLUNTEER: Contact a local museum or historic site and volunteer your time as a youth docent or guide.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Learn a musical instrument and perform at YW in excellence.

NEW BEGINNINGS: Plan and carry out New Beginnings.

ORGANIZE A FAMILY REUNION

ORGANIZE FAMILY PHOTOS: Organize your family photographs. Sort them by date, events, or people. Using a soft lead pencil or archival pen, write the names of people, places and dates on the back of the photographs. Mount the photographs using archival quality, acid free materials.

ORGANIZATION SYSTEM: Learn about or develop a system for organizing information or materials and begin your own system.

PAINTING: Learn to paint or wallpaper.

PARENT’S PROM: Plan and organize a “Parent’s Prom” for the couples in your ward. Collect high school pictures of them, vote on a king and queen, play their favorite music, etc.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE: Pick a personal challenge (spiritual or physical) and set up a progress/program to strengthen yourself in that area. Organize and come up with a game plan to go by for at least 3 months. Make a visual display to remind yourself. Write about it in your journal as you go along.

PERSONAL HISTORY: Write your own personal history.

PERSONAL PROGRESS REMINDERS: Make a year’s worth of personal progress reminders and handouts for YW.

PERSONAL SCRAPBOOK: Create a personal scrapbook of your life. Use archival quality materials.

PHOTO ALBUM: Put together an “Individual Worth” photo album. You can focus on your strengths, talents, etc. Mix in with the photos some of your favorite scriptures and thought.

PHYSICAL FITNESS: I have one girl that did a physical fitness program. She kept track of eating and her training activities while preparing for a marathon.

PHYSICAL FITNESS: Train for a half marathon. Keep a log of your daily preparations and progress, particularly how you feel.

POWERPOINT: One girl did a power point presentation of her brother to show during his baptism. It turned out really good.

PIANO LESSONS: Give piano lessons.

SWIMSUIT DRIVE: Plan and organize a swimsuit drive or make swimsuits for a children’s hospital. They do therapy and have other activities in the pool. Always in need of them!!

PERSONAL HISTORY: Help an older relative write his or her personal history.

POTO ALBUM: Put together an “Individual Worth” photo album. You can focus on your strengths, talents, etc. Mix in with the photos some of your favorite scriptures and thought.

PREGNANT TEEN HOME: Organize a service project to benefit a home for pregnant girls. Make a quilt for each baby that will be born soon. Provide seasonal decorations to make the home more cozy and throw a seasonal party. If there are also children living there, provide activities or crafts for them at the party.

PREMATURE BABIES SERVICE: Sew little outfits to give to parents of premature babies.

PRESCHOOL/NURSERY: Prepare and conduct a preschool or nursery class as a service for younger children.

PRESCHOOL: Prepare and conduct a preschool or nursery class as a service for younger children.

PRIMARY ACTIVITY: Plan and help carry out a Primary activity or activities focused on a family history theme. Remember to plan for several age groups.

PRIMARY VISUAL AIDES: With the approval of the Primary President and YW Leader, serve as a helper in Primary in making visual aids and other class materials. Help w/Achievement Day or other Primary activities.

READ BOOK OF MORMON: Read the whole Book of Mormon. As you read it keep a record in a notebook of each chapter or section and what you learned as you go along. Make it as detailed as possible. Keep an ongoing record also of your favorite scripture references, by topic and file in a small file box for easy reference. On each 3X5 card write reference, write out scripture or key words, and why it stood out to you.

READ DOCTRINE & COVENANTS: Read the whole Doctrine & Covenants and do the same as above.

READING TUTORING: One Laurel is teaching a 9 year old boy to read.

RECIPE COOKBOOK: Put together a family cookbook with favorite recipes. Give to family members as gifts. Familiarize yourself with the recipes and learn to make them as you go along.

RECORD EXTRACTION: Talk to your stake record extraction coordinator about the possibility of performing a short-term record extraction assignment.

RECORD TRANSCRIPTION PROJECT: On the Internet, explore www.usgenweb.com or www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/ The sites list opportunities to participate in record transcription and cemetery transcription projects. Find a project you might be interested in and contact the project coordinator.

SACRAMENT BREAD: One of my Laurels just finished this project. She baked the bread for the sacrament every week for six weeks. It was a wonderful project. I had to clear it with my Bishop first, but he thought it was a great idea. No one in the ward knew she was doing it until we presented her medallions to her in Sacrament meeting. Several people came up to me afterward and commented that they had been curious as to why we were using homemade bread. Now that her project is finished, her efforts are sorely missed!

SAVIOR STUDY: Spend at least 20 hours studying different material about the life of the Savior. Put together a presentation and present it at a fireside for the youth. Write about your feelings in your journal as you go along.

SCHOOL PREPERATION: We have had a couple of young women volunteer their time in helping a teacher get stuff ready for her school class. They colored pages and cut out class aids and a ton of other things.

GENERAL CONFERENCE: Watch general conference live or on c.d. Write one thing about each talk that inspired you or that you learned.

SCRAPBOOK: Make a scrapbook with various sayings and stories on faith.

SCRAPBOOK: One of our girls had lived in Europe and wanted to prepare a scrapbook of her experiences there.

SCRIPTURE READING PROGRAM: Organize and implement a scripture-reading incentive program for your class. You may want to invite the young men to participate.

SCRIPTURE-A-THON: Plan an all-night scripture-a-thon. Plan different characters from the scriptures to visit throughout the night/evening and different discussions to keep everyone awake and focused on the reading.

SERVICE FOR ELDERLY: Offer to organize things such as photos or paper work for elderly person in ward.

SERVICE INFORMATION: I just moved from UT and found out that the church is now an official organization that gives world aid. If you contact SLC ask them about it. The girls can put together new baby kits, crochet leper bandages, etc. The church can give you all the specifics.

Deseret Industries Sort Center
LDS Charities
attn: Humanitarian Service Projects
PO Box 26393-0393
1665 Bennett Rd.
SLC, Utah 84126-0393

SERVICE: Collect needed items for soldiers at school or in your community.

SERVICE: Organize and direct your young women group in visiting a senior citizen center. Interview the residents and with the information you gather, compile a life history for each resident interviewed. Or With each resident’s permission, compile the histories into one volume and present it to your local public library, genealogical society or historical society.
Or Interview the residents, asking them questions specific to their memories of your community. Compile their memories into one volume and present it to your local public library, community historic preservation director, genealogical society or historical society.

SERVICE: Clean and fix up a neglected cemetery and transcribe inscriptions on the stones.

SERVICE: Give consistent help over a period of time to a family or individual in your ward with special needs.

SERVICE: Plan and organize a service day for a youth group where you can go serve in different places for different people.

SERVICE: My niece went to a Homeless Shelter each month for a year and through a birthday party for the children who had a birthday that month. She got a clown to come and do some tricks, and she gave presents to the children who did have a birthday that month. Everyone got cupcakes and balloons. It was a great experience for her.

SEWING CLASS: Organize a sewing or other home skills class for younger children.

SEWING SERVICE: Sew onesies for babies at a children’s hospital.

SHARE A TALLENT: My daughters invited girls ages 4-11 to be taught dance (Ballet) in our home. We had weekly classes, broken up by age, from September through December and then had a recital at the stake center. This was such an awesome event. The classes were free and we had costumes and a stage. It ended up being a 52 hour project but they had a blast.

SERVICE: Help at a soup kitchen.

SEW A TEMPLE DRESS: One of my amazing Young Women sewed her own temple dress for when she goes to the temple for her Choice and Accountability projects!

SIGN LANGUAGE: Learn signing for the deaf and teach a song to your young women group to perform in Sacrament Meeting. If there is a deaf branch near you, you may ask for permission to assist on a primary lesson or help teach a group of deaf children the 13 Articles of Faith.

SKILL AND SERVICE: Make and donate trauma bears, or have a teddy bear drive (new bears donated for your cause).

SKILL TEACHING: Teach reading or language skills to someone in need of help.

SPIRITUAL PRESENTATION: Write and direct a dramatic presentation that portrays a gospel theme and involves children or youth in your ward.

SPORTS COACH: Coach or run a tournament for a YW sport.

STENCILING: Learn how to stencil, wallpaper and paint. Redo a room in your house.

SUB-FOR-SANTA: My daughter did a Sub-for-Santa by going to the County Social Services, and requesting a family to give Christmas to. She asked for a small family as she might do it entirely by herself. She got the kids at seminary to help a little by asking them to donate time, presents and/or money. She got some help from them and did the rest herself. It was great for her she learned so much and had the joy that comes from serving.

TEACH THE ARTICLES OF FAITH: One girl helped a large LDS family by teaching the newly adopted children as well as the biological children learn the Articles of Faith. She taught them songs and the principles behind each article of faith. It was great for her. She went to their home each week for 13 weeks and spent a couple of hours with them.

TEMPLE BABYSITTING: Do babysitting service projects–so couples could go to the temple.

TEMPLY WORK: Set a goal to go to the temple and do temple work for X number of ancestors. Do the research necessary, learn to use the Temple Ready program to prepare the names for the temple, then go to the temple and provide the baptisms for those ancestors.

TESTIMONY BOOK: Compile a Testimony Book. Have members of your young women group, including leaders, your bishopric, RS and Primary Presidencies, friends, and neighbors write their testimonies down for you. Type them up and put into a 3-ring binder. You may also want to request testimonies from family and extended family members – don’t forget grandmas and grandpas. You could include the testimonies of your ancestors (if you have them). These testimonies do not have to be LDS based. Even members of other Faiths have a firm belief in the Savior.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE QUILT: Make a “this is your life” quilt for you, a parent, a church leader or an “appreciation” quilt for the bishop, stake president or stake patriarch.

TRICK OR TREAT BAGS: Put together activity kits or trick-or-treat bags with treats in it for children. Deliver to low-income youth center or domestic abuse shelter.

TUTORING: Put together a tutoring program for children in the ward.

USED VIDEOS: Organize a children’s used video drive to donate to a children’s hospital, homeless or domestic abuse shelter.

VALUE CRAFT: Make a craft or room decoration which includes all of the young women colors for each young woman in the ward. When a young woman finishes that value, she gets an item of the matching value color. This may encourage the girls to think about what she still must do to complete her year’s experiences.

VALUE POSTERS: Make pretty value-colored posters for the values, value statements, and related scriptures.

VALUE QUILT: For another project, I got a book of cross stitch patterns from the church bookstore (I’ve even seen the book on the internet for sale) and cross stitched all the values and meanings and the theme and pictures of the torch and each class’s picture. Then I made it into a quilt using the young women colors as borders.

VALUE QUILT: Make a value quilt.

VALUE QUOTE BINDER: We had some young women find quotes from church leaders about each value. Then they typed them on the computer using different fonts for each quote and printing them out on the appropriate color paper. We put this in a binder and use it on Sundays for a thought to go with our value. We have also used it on Weds. night opening exercises for a thought.

VALUE ROOM DECOR: Make a craft or room decoration which includes all of the young women colors for each young woman in the ward. When a young woman finishes that value, she gets an item of the matching value color. This may encourage the girls to think about what she still must do to complete her year’s experiences.

VALUE TABLECOTHS: Make tablecloths out of the value colors for the young women’s room.

VOLUNTEER D.I. DRIVE: Volunteer at Deseret Industries for 20-30 hours.

VOLUNTEER WORK: Do volunteer work at a food bank, shelter, hospital, etc. Make it more than putting in time, but plan some special event or contribution.

VOLUNTEER WORK: Serve as a volunteer guide or docent in a community park, museum, or zoo for at least three months. Share the knowledge you have acquired as a result of your service.

VOLUNTEER WORK: Serve as a volunteer in a hospital, nursing home, day-care center, or other community social service institution.

VOLUNTEER WORK: Volunteer at a service center.

VOLUNTEER: Volunteer at a veterinarian’s office or the Humane Society.

VOLUNTEER: Contact your county genealogical or historical society about the possibility of helping in any record extraction or indexing projects they have available.

VOLUNTEER: Volunteer at least 10 hours of your time at your local Family History Center.

VOLUNTEER: Volunteer your time to clean microfilm and microfiche readers at your local Family History Center or library.

VOLUNTEER: Contact your community’s historic preservation director. Volunteer your time or your group’s time to clean or fix up a community historic site.

WARD CLOTHING EXCHANGE: Organize a ward clothing exchange. Members bring clothes that they no longer want or fit into etc., and after all the clothing is brought together, everybody chooses one other piece of clothing that someone else brought for each piece that they brought. You can also have other donations, such as toys. In the end, the items that are left over can be donated to a local thrift store.

WARD COOKBOOK: Compile a cookbook or favorite recipes from ward members.

WARD COOKBOOK: I did a ward cookbook, with the money going to help the YW pay for camp next year. We got a lot of cool recipes, and LOTS of desserts!!!

WARD DIRECTORY: Another one I just thought of the other day is a class project. (Unless you are very ambitious!) We’re going to compile a handout which contains a short profile on every family in our ward. I thought it would be neat to be able to hand this information (with addresses and telephone numbers) to new people who move in, to give them more than just an address and phone list. This would involve contacting every family in the ward. If there are some inactives who didn’t want to participate, their names, addresses and phone numbers would be the only information included.

WARD HISTORY: Compile a history of your ward. Interview current and former members of the ward. Include details on auxiliary leaders, temple trips, activities, and ward traditions. Collect photographs and include them also.

WARD TOY DRIVE FOR NURSERY: Start a ward toy drive for nursery: gather used but good toys from ward members through a ‘toy drive’. Spread the word (fliers are very helpful reminders!) and have the members bag up their toys and put them on their porches for pick-up. Make sure you clean the toys!

WARD VIDEO: We had a Laurel in our ward take a video camera around to members of the ward and asked them to tell stories and things that they loved about a man who had a terminal illness. She gave it to him just a couple of months before he died. He loved getting to see and hear how people felt about him and it is a nice reminder of him for his wife who is still alive. This was a very touching project for all who were involved not just the Laurel who really did all the work.

WARD YOUTH CHOIR: Organize and lead a ward youth choir.

WEDDING RECEPTION & TEACHER APPRECIATION DINNER: The first project I did was a wedding reception for a young college student. I got with her mom and made all the decorations. Then, I set the Cultural Hall up for it. It was a success. The second project I did was a Teacher’s Appreciation Dinner. I cooked all the food with my mom. I even had our Stake President there as the keynote speaker. I had to get the permission of our bishop, though. I also had to get the help of the youth to get their teacher’s there. These both required patience and a lot of hours. They were worth it, though.

WHEELCHAIR BAGS: Make bags that fit over the back of a wheelchair. Donate to a children’s hospital. They are always in need of them.

WRITE A PLAY: When I was a Laurel, I wrote a play (one act about 20-25 minutes) and put it on with another Laurel and a little girl from primary for a fireside one Sunday. For another project, I got a book of cross stitch patterns from the church bookstore (I’ve even seen the book on the internet for sale) and cross stitched all the values and meanings and the theme and pictures of the torch and each class’s picture. Then I made it into a quilt using the young women colors as borders. I still sleep under that quilt!

WORKSHOP: Organize a workshop for writing life histories, either at church or in the community.

YOUTH HISTORY: Organize a family history experience for the youth in your ward such as those described in “Planting Temple Seeds” (New Era, February 2001) or “Turning Their Hearts” (New Era, March 1992).

YOUTH TEMPLE TRIP: Plan a youth temple trip (rides, accommodation, lunch, etc., etc.).

YW CHOIR: Organizing a YW choir Providing a summer’s worth of service at a home for young children with physical and mental disabilities.

YW HISTORIAN: One of my laurels is being our “historian” with her digital camera. She will print out and make a display of all our activities for YWIE. One did a garden at her home to grow vegetables, one is in band and orchestra and also a flag twirler, one painted flower pots and planted inexpensive flowers and took to a rest home, one is cross stitching the YW theme in the value colors, one made a dress for her sister’s wedding line.

YW/YM NEWSLETTER: Write an YW or YW/YM newsletter monthly for a specified length of time. Distribute it to all the youth.