Have you ever wanted to volunteer somewhere, but you didn't what to do?

Or have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with a service project, in need of a few helping hands?

JustServe.org may be just what you need.

"I call it kind of an 'Internet-dating site' for service," said Dr. Steve Woods of Hayden.

JustServe.org is an online hub where volunteers can find service projects that suit their schedules and talents while those who need recruits can post volunteer positions available with their organizations.

"There are lots of people in the community who want or need to give service," Woods said. "This is the ideal place to help them out. This is really about facilitating service in the community. It's astonishing how much good can be done in a community by a relatively small number of people."

JustServe began in California in 2012 and was tested in several communities in 2013. It expanded to several states in 2014 and last fall came to the attention of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which enlists numerous volunteers throughout the year to conduct community service projects.

LDS members Woods and Richard Dance of Hayden are proponents for boosting awareness of JustServe.org in the community to help match volunteers with service jobs and fulfill needs throughout North Idaho.

"The LDS Church had the capability to get it started, has the capacity to maintain and improve it and the commitment to provide it free to the community long term, forever," Dance said. "Now it's up to the community to make it work."

At www.JustServe.org, people can search for volunteer opportunities in a radius of 5 to 75 miles. They can type in the kind of project they want, the date that works for them and choose if they want a group project and select the appropriate ages. Those in need of volunteers can post details about their projects, helpful skills and any other information volunteers may need to know before signing up.

"(Volunteers) can just conveniently find out what's out there and then pick what they want to do that fits their circumstances and their time," Dance said.

Those who do use the website have to register their name, email and zip code, but Woods and Dance reassured that registration is simply to let organizations know how many volunteers will come to a project, if something is canceled or if a new service project opens in the area. Woods said that this is a tool for everyone in the community, not just members of the LDS Church.

"A lot of people may be mildly suspicious that there are ulterior motives involved with this, but there really are none," he said. "Nobody from the church is going to come calling at your door, nobody's going to be phoning or sending you emails. This is purely a humanitarian service site with no strings attached."

As of Friday evening, 26 volunteer opportunities were posted on JustServe.org, including openings for kindergarten childcare helpers, helping at Fresh Start, working at the Inland Northwest Blood Center and educating local youths on bicycle safety with Bike CDA. It could be painting a house or driving an elderly person to the grocery store; projects range from quick and small to large or long-term, but the site can't be used for "profit organizations, political purposes and direct fundraising of cash," Dance said.

Richard's wife, Julienne Dance, also believes JustServe.org is a helpful tool and said it's a way to bring the community together.

"I feel like we're going to get a lot closer to other people," she said. "Our church takes care of each other well, but I want us to become friends and work together with all these other churches and be aware of each other's needs so that no one ever goes into devastation."

Woods and Richard said the local LDS congregations plan to conduct their annual Day of Service at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in conjunction with the fairgrounds' annual Summer Service Day next month, hopefully utilizing the time and talents of even more volunteers who get involved through JustServe.org.

"Anybody that is interested in doing service - families, individuals, whatever - can utilize this site," Woods said. "Our goal is to bring this to the community at large. Any organization that's interested in providing service can benefit from this."

A potluck and software initiative introducing schools, nonprofits, clubs, fraternal orders and anyone interested in learning more about JustServe.org will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Rathdrum Grange Hall No. 351. The grange hall is located at N. 14353 Highway 41.