When you face difficult times, it is easy for people to lose hope. I believe the best way to combat that is to focus outside yourself and serve.

As broadcasters, we have a unique opportunity to motivate service within the communities we reach and the need for that is especially great right now. Our voices help bring hope and healing, build respect and create connection that inspires lives.

Bonneville International was created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1964 to build up, connect, inform and celebrate families and communities and we place a high priority on service.

David O. McKay, who was the president of the church at that time, said, “The Church is not in broadcasting as a business investment, it is there to provide outstanding community service.”

That legacy of service continues today. All our stations are given the mandate to use their influence for good. Our employees are given paid hours to volunteer and earlier this year we formed a partnership with JustServe, a service to help link community volunteer needs with volunteers.

For years, Bonneville’s KSL-TV has recognized people doing good and giving selflessly by giving them a High 5! These stories have become some of the post popular segments on air and on the station’s website and social media channels. People often comment that these good news stories inspire them to give back to their communities.

In recent years, Bonneville Salt Lake has made a strong commitment to prevent suicide. The combined efforts of our TV and radio stations have led to a significant increase in the number of downloads for the Safe UT app.

Bonneville’s Mix96 motivates service in the Sacramento area with Darik’s Good Deed of the Week.

In Seattle, Bonneville’s 710 ESPN formed a partnership with Coaching Boys Into Men, which focuses on youth leadership skills, domestic violence prevention and healthy relationships. Their successful efforts earned a Service to America Award nomination this year.

Many of our stations help raise money for children’s hospitals and last year Bonneville’s KTAR News and Arizona Sports hosted the nation’s most successful radiothon for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

These are just a few examples of how we are using our news, music and sports stations to promote community service.

All of us at Bonneville applaud this year’s Service to America Award nominees for their outstanding efforts for embracing the issues that challenge us all and providing a positive path forward.