PROVO — As a victim of Hurricane Katrina, Valerie Hollberg was the recipient of a hygiene kit made by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"The little things in that kit were a big deal," she said. "We had nothing."

Now Hollberg, who lives in Salt Lake City, wants to do the same thing for someone else.

As one of thousands of women gathered Thursday for an evening service project during Women's Conference at Brigham Young University, she lined up to assemble hygiene kits.

Begun in 1976 as a BYU student-planned event, Women's Conference is now co-sponsored by the university and the LDS Church's Relief Society. An estimated 20,000 women participate in the two-day conference each year.

In 1999, the first en masse service project was held. Since then the service aspect of the conference "has just grown and grown to be one of the parts that women look forward to," said Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president.

In the past decade, those attending Women's Conference have assembled more than 7,000 children's games, 3,400 fleece blankets, 20,000 greeting cards, 3,200 loomed hats, 14,000 wooden toys, 47,000 newborn kits, 113,000 school kits and 390,000 hygiene kits, among other things.

With her counselors — Sister Silvia H. Allred and Sister Barbara Thompson — Sister Beck visited the service projects and sharing stations (where women share service ideas) in the Richards Building and Smith Fieldhouse on the BYU campus.

"We wanted the sisters to know how much we appreciate them," said Sister Beck. "Our presidency serves on the Welfare Committee of the church. We learn about where a lot of these things go as we travel all over the world. So it is fun to see them from their genesis and then see the good they do out there."

The rooms were packed with women volunteering their time. Others lined up to find a place to pitch in.

Sister Allred said it was wonderful "to see all these women who have so many choices and have chosen to do something for someone else."

Sister Thompson said the service energizes the Women's Conference participants. "There is more service than you can imagine within these buildings and among these sisters," she said. "I love these sisters that are willing to do this. Look how dedicated they are. They have been in meetings all day and now they are ready to serve all night."

That sentiment was shared by the women giving the service.

"I will be here until every box is full," volunteer Renee Hill told Sister Beck.

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