Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are supporting the efforts of Habitat for Humanity in Christchurch by offering weekly service in their Sydenham store.
Director of public affairs for the Church in Christchurch, Noeline Odgers, is registered with Volunteering Canterbury and finds service opportunities for missionaries and other local members of the Church.
Habitat for Humanity recently posted the following on Facebook: "Every Thursday, come rain or shine, these amazing LDS Church volunteers come to our Sydenham Restore and spend several hours doing whatever needs to be done to help out! They sort through donations, tidy clothes and organise display areas around the store. Each week between 6-12 people come."
The post continues: "We are so grateful for the work they do to help us on our mission of making sure everybody has a decent home to live in, and we’re extremely grateful to Volunteering Canterbury for sending this wonderful group our way!"
Missionaries also clean the grounds at a small hospital and give "lots more meaningful community service," said Tania Torea, the Church's director of public affairs for the South Island and lower half of the North Island.
There are approximately 70,000 young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently serving from 18 to 24 months around the world.
They pay their own way and are not paid for their volunteer service.
They find ways to serve the communities in which they live as well as teach people about their beliefs regarding Jesus Christ and how to strengthen families.