Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints play
important roles in our communities. This became especially apparent
on April 30, when some 65,000 members and other community
volunteers turned out across California and Hawaii for the annual
Mormon Helping Hands Day.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints play important roles in our communities. This became especially apparent on April 30, when some 65,000 members and other community volunteers turned out across California and Hawaii for the annual Mormon Helping Hands Day.
Up and down our state, volunteers in distinctive bright yellow vests helped with 319 projects, saving our financially struggling taxpayers an estimated $4.5 million. They participated in an astonishing variety of projects, including:
– Cleaning 3,000 headstones at a veterans’ cemetery in San Diego;
– Refurbishing a popular outdoor auditorium in Redlands;
– Repainting a bike tunnel and building fences in Davis;
– Repairing and beautifying 880 city and state parks in Hawaii.
South Valley Mormons were well represented in the list of community service projects. From 7 a.m. to noon, 352 members of six wards (congregations) worked at Gilroy’s Uvas Levee/Christmas Hill Park Preserve, the popular four-mile long hiking and biking trail.
With the assistance of 11 city employees, volunteers ranging from children to the elderly assisted with the maintenance project as they joined in groups of 30 to perform the many tasks that improved the beauty and safety of the area. Tasks included:
– Clearing brush from the sound wall and repainting it;
– Stenciling warnings on the storm drains;
– Measuring and repainting distance markers;
– Leveling gravel on pathways;
– Hauling away tons of brush as it was cut.
At noon, they celebrated their success with a barbecue held at Christmas Hill Park. There was general satisfaction in what they had accomplished and enjoyment in working with old friends and new acquaintances on such a worthy cause.
Susan Voss, Gilroy’s volunteer coordinator, expressed pride in the volunteers’ “safe, organized and orderly work,” and added that the day was “highly productive.”
Meanwhile, more than 200 Mormons and other volunteers from throughout San Benito County spent the day working at Chamberlain’s Children Center in Hollister, a nonprofit child and family service agency. They accomplished many important tasks, such as:
– Hanging dry wall in buildings;
– Repairing roofs;
– Laying down new pavers on walkways and patios;
– Weeding extensively;
– Planting some trees, 20 shrubs and many smaller plants;
– Cleaning a baseball field;
– Spreading rubber groundcover on a playground;
– Painting and redecorating a bathroom while repairing its plumbing.
Although all age groups were represented, the youngest children enjoyed recreational activities to pass the time while their parents worked. Other community groups, such as the Rotary Club from both Hollister and San Juan Bautista and the Hollister Leadership Group, joined the Latter-day Saints. Employees and board members of Chamberlains also took part.
A spokesperson for the Mormons expressed gratitude for the opportunity: “We would love to come back again, as it is our desire and goal to emulate Christ’s teachings, following his example and life’s work while on earth.”
For a complete list of all the Mormon Helping Hands projects in California and Hawaii, please visit www.mhhcalifornia.org and www.mhhhawaii.org. For more information about South Valley activities, contact Diana Dufur at
pu***********@nu***********.net
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