Early Tuesday morning, just as Park City High School students settled into their classes and their younger middle school- or elementary school-aged peers walked to their campuses, a group stood in front of the high school, making the first day of the school year a little sweeter by handing out doughnuts to passersby.

Emma Gorg — one of the sweet treat distributors and a dance instructor at the school — explained that the group was a local chapter of Young Life, a national Christian organization that seeks to connect young people with older mentors.

Gorg said the organization was first found in Texas in the ‘40s and spread to Park City in the ‘90s. While there are not a lot of other chapters throughout Utah, she said Park City operates as a model for what further participation could look like.

“Our goal is to develop deep, meaningful relationships with students,” Gorg said.

She explained that — on top of doing things like handing out doughnuts to kids returning to school — the group visits schools’ cafeterias at lunchtime and hosts different activities throughout the week where young people are invited.

Every Monday, she explained, the group gathers at a volunteer student’s home for Young Life club, an event Gorg described as “an hour of organized chaos” where “kids just get to be kids.” They sing, they play games and they eat dinner together.

“Then, at the end of it, we share a quick message about why we do what we do,” she said. “And why we want to be loving on these students is because we are loved by God.”

Gorg said she first came to know the organization when she was a high school student in Virginia.

“There was a woman, her name was Whitney Johnson,” Gorg remembered. “She literally sat with me at my lunch table. At first, I was like, who is this girl? Like this is kind of weird. And now we are best friends. I’m actually getting married in 18 days, and she’s one of my bridesmaids.”

Gorg said she went from a lost sophomore to someone who found comfort in Christianity and the fellowship Johnson gave her.

“I just want to be able to do the same for other young women in high school,” she said. “I became a different person, almost.”

Ethan Looney, another member of Young Life who was distributing pastries Tuesday morning, described a similar experience when he was in middle school.

He remembered playing fun, goofy games and meeting a leader who was different from all of the other adults in his life.

“Having an older person that’s a little bit ahead of you in life be truthful with you, also there as a support, but also call you out when you’re doing stuff wrong, that resonated with me,” he said. “The biggest thing to me is kids being treated like humans, which I think a lot of the time, especially in middle school, younger kids are disregarded, their ideas are disregarded because of their age. That’s kind of why I do it because I think they have a lot more to say and they have a massive impact on their community, which we’re seeing now.”

Though the group isn’t shy about sharing their belief in Jesus Christ, they also said they’re fine if kids who don’t believe or give credence to their messages continue to show up to their activities and be a part of their community.

James McKenzie, a student at Park City High, said he appreciates having people he knows he can turn to with problems. He knows they’re willing to help.

“Come to club,” he said.