40 emergency “grab and go packs” were donated recently to the Wellington Night Shelter by Peter Thomson, president of the Wellington New Zealand Stake, and other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Cook Strait Times reports this week.
The Wellington Night Shelter is a charity providing emergency overnight accommodation for homeless men.
The packs contain an assortment of items including thermal blankets, medical kits, ponchos and non-perishable food that will be available to Night Shelter clients in the event of an emergency.
“We were attracted to the project as we are always looking for ways to reach out into the community,” President Thomson told the Cook Strait Times.
“We had members of the Church make the bags and other members donated the items in the pack, then our younger members put them together.”
Wellington City Councillor, Paul Eagle, told the newspaper, “We feel that the Mormon Helping Hands are an outstanding example of the many crucial services provided by the city’s churches. They help those Wellingtonians without a home with the things they need most.”
The initiative was coordinated by Charles Turner and supported by several other members of the Church in Wellington.
Read the entire article in the Cook Strait Times.
Read more about the Church’s approach to emergency preparedness.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The Mormon Helping Hands program brings together members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their neighbors to provide community service. These volunteers in their trademark yellow shirts help people whose lives have been affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. Mormon Helping Hands volunteers also partner with government and nonprofit organizations to support and improve the communities where they live.