Russell M. Nelson

DIXON, CA (MPG) - As Dixon resident Luisa Nye becomes a helping hand for fellow Dixon residents through YoloCares, this month, her heart will be giving a birthday gift to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints president Russell M. Nelson, who turns 100 years old on Sept. 9. Reaching out to the one who needs help is all that he asks for as a gift for this momentous birthday.

“One of the places where the Savior used the number 100 in the scriptures was the parable of the lost sheep. Though 99 of his flock were safely by his side, the shepherd went in search of the 1 who was lost,” Nelson said recently. “I have no need of physical gifts. But one spiritual offering that would brighten my life is for each of us to reach out to ‘the one’ in our lives who may be feeling lost or alone.”

Nye feels that this a wonderful call for she and her husband Ben. She said they both “feel strongly about reaching out to individuals that might need help.” They have enfolded more than 20 kids in their loving embrace as foster/adoptive parents over the past 15 years. Nye has also found that YoloCares is a really workable way to share if you don’t have a lot of time. “If you have a couple of hours a week to help the elderly or those who need a companion or help with simple tasks around the house, YoloCares is a great way to share your love,” she said.

Another way to serve here in Yolo County is the monthly third Thursday Humanitarian Day, which invites the community to come together from 1 to 9 p.m. to do everything from wrapping diapers for the Yolo Diaper Bank and packing lunches for Empower Yolo, to making toys like sock monkeys to fill comfort bags for children in the foster care system. The event is being held at the LDS Church meetinghouse at 850 Pioneer Ave. in Woodland.

See https://woodlandwemm.org for more details. A number of other local opportunities to serve can be found on justserve.org, a free website and app.

A special broadcast in honor of President Nelson will be held on his 100th birthday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.  It will be available to watch live stream on Broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the Church’s YouTube channel, and the Gospel Stream app. The event will also be available for on-demand viewing on YouTube, Gospel Media, and the Gospel Stream app.