This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A friend who handed over his Mormon card years ago says the only thing he misses about the LDS Church is the ready-made opportunity for community service it provides.

You know. Raking leaves for widows. Taking meals to someone who's ill. Visiting residents at nearby care facilities. Providing child care in a pinch. Joining in a neighborhood effort to clean up a park. Donating care packages with basic hygiene supplies to refugees. Staging a holiday party for underserved populations of children.

You don't need to be a Mormon to do any of these things. CLEARLY. You don't need to be a member of any church to extend a helping hand. AGAIN, CLEARLY. People with absolutely no religious affiliation at all engage in meaningful acts of community service all the time. Our friend's point was simply this: Upon leaving the fold, he discovered that he wasn't particularly good about seeking out and following through with opportunities for service on his own.

Too bad he doesn't have my neighbor Kris Ford in his life. Because Kris feels so strongly about helping others, she's become a one-woman United Way agency. When I asked for a list of her volunteer experience, she demurred. Personal recognition for her extensive volunteerism has never been the point, Kris said. But then I put on my superscary Journalist Face and because everyone these days knows that the press is EVIL, she complied with my request out of fear for her physical safety.

Here are a few of the things Kris does.

1. In connection with the Utah Food Bank, she delivers food boxes to elderly low-income people who struggle with illness.

2. She volunteers monthly at the Ronald McDonald House, where she oversees the preparation of dinner for residents.

3. She is an ongoing advocate for the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer's Association, participating in walks and other fundraising efforts. As a cancer survivor herself, she also supports the American Cancer Society.

4. Along the way, she has found time to volunteer for organizations such as the YWCA, the House of Hope, and The Road Home, to name a few.

When I asked Kris to share a memorable moment, she said: "One that happened recently was after starting dinner service at the Ronald McDonald House, where we just fixed simple grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, I was going to the tables to see where people were from, how they were doing and if I could get them anything else. There was one couple that told me how appreciative they were that we fixed comfort food that day because their baby had died the day before and they just needed the comfort."

Experiences like these make all the heavy lifting Kris does worth it. And she's thrilled for others to share in this experience of community service, something so many others are eager to do. My friend Anna, for instance, says her Catholic parents have begun viewing the season of Lent as an opportunity to provide further service, as opposed to merely giving up something.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has responded to this grass-roots desire with the development of a website called JustServe (http://www.justserve.org), which collects and lists community service opportunities for anyone who's interested, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. The one rule: No proselytizing — yes, even by Mormons.

A recently created app, also called JustServe, makes accessing information about local service projects even easier. Users can download the app (or have their children do it for them like I did) and discover who needs what in their own area.

A quick look at my phone this morning, for instance, tells me that the Murray Food Pantry (sponsored by the Murray Park Church of Christ) needs volunteers, and that the West Jordan Senior Center is looking for someone to volunteer once a month to do crafts with patrons.

Which gives me an idea: Maybe instead of complaining about the weather over conference weekend this spring, I can get out and — you know — just serve.

Ann Cannon can be reached at acannon@sltrib.com or facebook.com/anncannontrib.