by Reed Markham, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Over 100 members of the Lake County community visited the Leesburg Stake Center, Clermont Chapel and the Leesburg Chapel (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Saturday, December 6th to participate in the Light the World Blood Drive and participate in Day of Service activities. The Leesburg Stake has partnered with OneBlood for the blood drive. Participants donated blood in one of several Red OneBlood buses located at each chapel.
According to Sorrento Bishop Chris Keeler, “One of the greatest acts of service is to give of self and to literally bless the lives of those who need lifesaving blood. That’s what donating blood is all about, giving the gift of life.”
At the Clermont Chapel, two congregations participated (Lake Minneola and Citrus Tower). The service projects included creating hygiene kits for The Neighborhood Center of South Lake which included homemade cards and ornaments, and fleece blankets.
At the Leesburg chapel, two congregations participated (Sumterville and Leesburg). The service projects included a food collection for Wildwood Food Pantry and North Lake Chapel Food Pantry (Lisbon), cards and ornaments, and fleece blankets.
At the Leesburg Stake Center, participants also came prepared to share a variety of food items for donation to local food banka and to participate in community service projects. One group used sewing machines to create seatbelt cushions for cancer patients. Another project involved writing Christmas cards for missionaries. And several children were involved in creating Christmas ornaments.
Adjacent to the Leesburg Stake property in the Eustis Hidden Waters Reserve. The reserve has several trails and Indigenous plant species. The Lake County Water Authority provided participants with a tour of the Reserve. Christie Leibner, a county educator said: “The Lake County Water Authority provides educational materials on natural landscaping, removing invasive plants, and free educational hikes and kayaking trips. The Sorrento Ward is partnering with Lake County to hold a service project to assist with removing invasive plants.
The Leesburg Stake Day of Service is part of Light the World, a global initiative that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosts annually and invites church members and the community to transform Christmas into a season of service.
