Church of the Highlands mobilized more than 19,000 volunteers on Saturday for its annual Serve Day, helping to meet the practical needs of communities across Alabama, Georgia, and beyond, according to church representatives.
Serve Day is an annual Highlands event where volunteers from each of the church’s 26 campuses meet physical and spiritual needs through projects such as home repairs, meal deliveries, hospital visits, school cleanups, and more. Volunteers also distributed groceries and essential items in underserved areas through a continued partnership with Convoy of Hope, a faith-based humanitarian organization.
“We love our communities, and it’s an honor to show up, serve people, and let them know they’re not alone,” said Mark Pettus, lead pastor at Highlands. “Highlands exists to make a difference in the world around us, and Serve Day is one way we get to do that together.”
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Projects were organized through the Serve Day app, developed by Highlands and offered free to other churches for their own outreach programs. The app helped coordinate more than 90,000 volunteer hours for Highlands members.
This year’s Serve Day marked an expansion of Highlands’ partnership with Convoy of Hope that delivered 500,000 pounds of food and essential supplies into neighborhoods for individuals facing food insecurity, financial hardship, and personal crises.
Serve Day projects were locally led, often organized through Highlands’ small groups. More than 1,040 local projects were completed and included caring for elderly neighbors, renovating homes for foster families, and supporting veterans, widows, and people experiencing medical or financial challenges. Projects supported key community institutions such as schools, food banks, shelters, and women’s resource centers.
In total, Serve Day projects resulted in 36,039 meals served, 143,101 people reached, and more than $2.4 million in economic impact across local communities.
