A Servant of God, Friend to Man

Pathfinders team up with leaders from another faith to combat food insecurity.

August 18, 2024 | Elyse Baltodano, for North American Division News

Pathfinders from around the world joined forces for the international camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, United States, focusing on community service projects such as outreach to the elderly, veterans, and active military; community clean-ups; and food distribution. Grounded in the Pathfinder Law, “servant of God, friend to man,” the 45 planned community service projects highlighted their commitment to selfless service.

In Gillette, Pathfinders and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) partnered to address food insecurity. The LDS Church donated 18,000 pounds (about 8,160 kilograms) of food, which Pathfinders and LDS members packaged and sorted into more than 600 boxes. These boxes contained shelf-stable items like spaghetti, dried milk, tomato sauce, and peanut butter, and were then distributed to local families.

Volunteers Carine Musaza and Noah Matsunaga from the Rolling Hills Pathfinder Club and Southern California Conference, shared, “Being a difference maker means helping others who may not have the same privileges we have. It’s nice to connect with the community, learn their names, and share a bit of our own story.”

On Wednesday, August 7, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Gillette College Technical building, community members drove up to Destination Drive following a one-way route to West 4-J Road where Pathfinders and LDS members helped carry boxes into vehicles. Each family received one box. Many families took more to share with neighbors, family members, and others in need.

The LDS Church completed a service project like this last year as a trial run for this year’s service project. They received a great deal of positive feedback from the community, including appreciation for taking some of the pressure off the local food pantries.

Angi Klamm, state communications director for the LDS Church and assistant service project coordinator for Pathfinders, said, “It has been an amazing experience to work with the Pathfinders. I’ve never worked on this large a scale with this many people before. It’s been an honor.”

This collaboration highlights the power of community partnerships in addressing complex social issues, regional leaders said. Through their joint efforts with partnerships including the LDS Church, Pathfinders were not only tackling food insecurity but also demonstrating that selfless service and cooperation can lead to meaningful change and improved quality of life for all.

“For Gillette to really welcome us off-site, with different countries and just wait for us to come here is such an honor,” Kim Armstrong, food distribution project leader said. “We feel so honored to be able to be part of packing, sorting and also distributing. What a wonderful thing to show God’s love.”

The original version of this story was posted on the North American Division news site.