From taking photos of city landmarks on school excursions, to Pokémon Go!, scavenger hunts are a familiar concept to most. However, a recent hunt placed more emphasis on serving others than on accumulating Pokémon or posing in front of the clock at Melbourne Central.
The idea was a simple one: even the smallest acts of service can make a difference. The list had items such as “take a picture with an elderly person”, “wash someone’s car windscreen”, or “put away items that are in the wrong place in a supermarket”.
And what better way to test it out than on eager 18 to 30-year-olds with limitless energy. So, in groups and armed with smartphones (because it doesn’t count unless it’s on Facebook), the game was afoot!
While some settled for “give someone a bunch of flowers”, others went to great lengths, including scaling a building to clean a gutter, in order to spread the love.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Jacqueline Horner, 22, helped organise the event as part of a weekend convention of young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Melbourne.
She related, “We wanted those attending to have a greater desire to service others. We wanted to show that service comes in all forms. It doesn’t have to be something big, but can be small deeds that can impact someone’s life, or even the community in a positive way.”
But what was the general consensus from those who participated?
Nathan Reid, from Tasmania, said, “It was a good, fun and positive experience for everyone involved and it was great to meet new people and make an impact.”
“We made people’s day and that made me so happy!” related Hannah Chittleborough, from Eltham.
Jacqueline added, “Service can and should be fun and it’s not hard!”
For ideas on how to reach out to others in simple ways, check out the scavenger hunt list below:
ACTS OF SERVICE
- Take a picture with an elderly person and compliment them on their smile—make their day!
- Wash someone’s car windscreen (easiest to do at a petrol station)
- Help someone with their shopping; help take their shopping to their car
- Offer to take out a bag of rubbish for a local business
- Wash someone’s car
- Buy a drink for someone
- Sing someone a song
- Provide a free workout in the park
- Donate to a charity shop
- Heart attack someone’s house (post paper hearts with nice messages on their home)
- Give a stranger flowers
- Clean a BBQ in a public park
- Visit someone who might be lonely
- Leave/give encouraging and uplifting notes to someone
- Buy something and let the store “keep the change”
- Help return books to their rightful place in a library
- Offer directions to someone who looks lost
- Give a positive comment to someone who is trying on new shoes/clothes
- Tidy a messy clothing rack in a store
- Put away items that are in the wrong place in a supermarket
- Open a door for someone
- Clean a park bench/picnic table
- Pick up at least 10 items of rubbish at a local park and/or shopping centre
- Weed someone’s garden
- Pick up 100 items of rubbish
- Find another church and go inside and visit. Be genuinely interested in who they are, what they believe and how they worship.
- Let someone go ahead of you at the checkout
- Return 5 shopping trolleys to their proper place
- Pay a compliment to 5 strangers
- Send a loving text to someone you know who may be going through a hard time
- Clean leaves out of the gutter
- Buy a box of chocolates for someone and leave them at their doorstep as a surprise