Young members from the Manukau Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined together Saturday 29 November for a community service day they called: “The Big Give.”
The young people gathered usable donated items from local church members over a two month period. The goal was to give these items to those in the community who are in need.
Invitations were sent out to the community inviting everyone to come and take what they needed. Signs were posted throughout the area announcing the event.
Manu Fisi’ihoi, one of the organizers, said, “We didn’t want people to have to pay for anything. That’s why we called it ‘The Big Give’”.
The event was held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ meetinghouse on 15 Robertson Road, Mangere, Auckland.
The scene on the day of the event was captivating. The cultural hall and foyer were filled with donated items — couches, reclining chairs, television sets, furniture, cabinets, dishes, cutlery, clothes, shoes and toys.
A throng of people could be seen picking through the items as the young adults answered questions, reorganized the items, while encouraging the visitors to take anything and everything they could use. They also procured an oversized van and made home deliveries of the larger furniture items.
When asked his impression of the event, local Latter-day Saint leader, Sione F. Tuione, said, “It’s really good to see our young adults willing to give and invite the community. This is the first year they have done this and it has really been a big success. It is so good to see members of our community come in and feel at home. I have seen them take bags of clothes and everything they need for their families.”
“The Big Give” left a lasting impression on these young adults.
According to Jessica Folou, “It’s been cool to give our all. I feel like by doing this we are showing love to these people.”
Damaris Petersen said, “It’s been good to know these items went to people who really needed them. My favourite part of the day was when two little boys grabbed the decorated Christmas tree. Their eyes lit up and they had the biggest smiles on their faces.”
The leftover items were donated to the Salvation Army.
“The Big Give” was part of a weekend-long young adult activity focusing on the theme “Stand A Little Taller.”
There were workshops followed by a dance Friday evening. After the community service activity on Saturday morning there were games and a bonfire. The weekend concluded with a Sunday evening musical and devotional.