Day of Service

November 8th, 2025!

26 years ago, a vision was born.
In the year 2000, inspired by the energy and commitment of our Youth Spring Break trips, the Day of Service began with one simple goal: to bring that same enthusiasm back to South Church and into our local community. What started as a humble effort has grown into something extraordinary—a quarter century of love, compassion, and action. This year, we proudly celebrate Day of Service under the theme “One Day. One Purpose. Together.”, and we invite you to be part of this incredible day by signing up to volunteer.

Saturday, November 8th
9:00AM – 4:00PM: Service Projects
5:00 – 8:00PM: Celebration Dinner

Service Projects

  • Serve Breakfast at Lazarus House: Bring pancake mix to flip cakes on the griddle or bring prepared Egg/French toast casseroles that just require warm up. Breakfast is served from 8:30-9:30 a.m., to approximately 50 people.
  • AVIS Clean Up: Be a part of conserving our wild spaces in Andover! We will be planting shrubs, scattering wildflower seed, and planting potted pollinator plants. We’ll also install a bat house. Please carpool. Gary Gearin leading.
  • Habitat for Humanity: Join South Church in Hamilton, MA for a day of building. No experience needed. Age 18 and older (16 with guardian). Ellen Arvidson leading.
  • Care Packages for Our Community: Assemble care packages for 15 of our members who would really appreciate and need the love light shone on them. All ages welcome, perfect for those that don’t want to push a wheel barrow or climb a ladder. Robin Murray leading.
    • 9:00-12:00PM
    • Just show up—no sign up needed!
  • Giving Garden – Seasonal Work: We’ll roll up and put away irrigation lines, clean and stow tools and bins, cover beds and much more. All are welcome, 12 and under with adult supervision. Emily Strong leading.
  • Singing at Senior Living Communities: Our group will sing at communities which provide assisted living and memory support. All ages with adult supervision for children under the age of 10. Betsy Hopkins leading.
  • Leaf Raking for our South Church Family: Flexible times and EVERYONE can help (youth accompanied by an adult) as we go out to 4 homes connected to our church and remove the fall leaves from their yard! We need help seeing how many more yards we can service! Ben Li leading.
  • Food Drive at Andover Stop & Shop: We are holding a food drive at the Andover Stop & Shop for Neighbors in Need, which has been impacted by increased cost of groceries and reduced supply from Greater Boston Food Bank. Help bridge the gap in the supply of food for our neighbors! Cindy Ozirsky leading.
  • Destination Imagination: Assemble Instant Challenge kits for Andover-based teams to use. Perfect for middle-school age and up, to ensure kits are assembled correctly and carefully. Mel Johnson leading.
    • 9:00-12:00PM
    • Just show up—no sign up needed!
  • Andover Department of Conservation: Remove invasive species from the entrance to Doyle Link on Route-133 near West Parish cemetery. Chris Dunn leading.
    • 9:00-12:00PM
    • Just show up—no sign up needed!
  • ABC House Fall Projects: Join us for leaf raking, yard clean up, and small indoor projects at ABC House, 134 Main Street, Andover. All ages welcome; children should be accompanied by an adult. Amy Joyall leading.
  • Lazarus House Family Shelter Dinner: Shelter dinner prep and kitchen/household cleaning. Volunteers would bring ingredients to make a dinner and dessert to serve 21 people, along with some kitchen and household area cleaning.
  • Lazarus House – Soup Kitchen deep clean: Give their well-used kitchen a thorough clean/wipe down of each chair and tables and guest lockers. If ambition allows it, let’s include windows and baseboards. Lunch begins at 11:30 so we would need to be done by then, or a team could come after lunch at 1:15 p.m. We would be grateful if team could bring own cleaning supplies, but can provide if needed.
  • Food Sorting at Neighbors in Need: Work at the warehouse to sort the collected food into bags for distribution.

Autumn Supper

Let’s gather at the end of the Day of Service to enjoy fellowship together reflecting on the day, sharing stories, eating dinner, and watching an assembly of photos from the day. Mac and cheese, nuggets, salads, corn bread, ham, beans and a well-deserved yummy dessert will round out your day. Vegetarian and gluten-free options provided. Questions? Want to help? Email Jan.

Sign Up To Help With Dinner!

Submit this year's photos to our AV Team!

If you took photos at your worksite, we want to see them and share them at our Celebration Dinner!

Click below to expand the list of upload links!