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Justin Sawyer
Davenport, IA
West Scott County Chapter #31114
 Justin Sawyer served as community service team director of the
West Scott County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
in 2005. At his very first meeting, after hearing about two upcoming
Join Hands Days activities, he began brainstorming ideas for
activities, youth involvement and serving the community. At his
advice, the chapter combined the two activities, creating a tailgate
party for the Special Olympian participants, holding a lock-in/canned-food
drive at his church, and hosting a park clean-up the next day.
For the tailgate party, Justin organized a pre-ballgame meal
for 350 Special Olympian athletes and coaches, and obtained food
donations, transported the equipment and supplies, and organized
volunteers. After the game, the youth volunteers met at Trinity
Lutheran Church for an all-night lock-in, which Justin helped
organize. After a night of Bible study, food and fellowship,
the youth met with adult volunteers the next day to help clean
up a DNR park site, which Justin also helped coordinate. The
volunteers cleaned the shores of a small lake and planted seedling
pine trees, and Justin demonstrated his talent for cooking hot
dogs and burgers for the hungry workers. Justin continued to
be a very active leader in the chapter throughout the year, attending
meetings and training sessions, and providing input and ideas
to further the chapter’s mission. He helped organize meals
that were served at the congregational coordinator training and
at the annual chapter meeting and election where Justin was elected
to serve as vice president in 2006.
Justin also participates in the youth group at Trinity Lutheran
Church, and was instrumental in the annual craft show, which
benefits the youth group. He is actively involved in fine arts
at his school, both in the Drama Club and school band, and shares
his talent with others by giving tuba lessons to middle-school
students and playing for special church services. He is a member
of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), where he trained to assist with
hurricane-relief efforts and was able to assist in the search
for a missing Iowa child.
From music instruction for beginning students to CAP training
and working with adults many years older than himself, Justin’s
youthful enthusiasm encourages and uplifts any service team or
group of which he is a part.
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