Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are helping with cleanup and recovery efforts after a series of violent tornadoes struck the southern United States. In North Carolina, Latter-day Saints in 29 congregations in Fayetteville, North Raleigh and Holly Springs were asked to leave their church meetingsearly on Sunday, 17 April 2011, to help neighbors whose homes were damaged or destroyed. “We have friends and neighbors who are in need,” local Church leaderJoseph Catlett said. “Go home, put on your work clothes, and let’s go help.”
More than 250 Church members in their yellow Mormon Helping Handsvests worked to spread tarps across damaged roofs, remove fallen trees and clean debris from yards. Others helped residents rescue their valuables from beneath piles of rubble. One woman who received help commented that she was “deeply moved” by the sea of volunteers who came to her rescue.