Adapted for LDS Living from an article on Mormon Newsroom, "Mormons Around the World Country Newsroom Websites August 24, 2016."
After the recent flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that has affected and displaced thousands of people, Church members in yellow vests rushed to aid flood victims, including more than 450 fellow members. With over 6,500 volunteers and an additional 5,000 more expected to come to help, Mormon Helping Hands received recognition from Louisiana's governor for their service and aid.
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However, with members of the Church spanning across the world, here are some of the other service projects members have recently been involved with around the world, from Malaysia to Puerto Rico.
Malaysia
Missionaries donned the yellow Mormon Helping Hands vests and fought against the heat and mosquitoes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to help landscape Tasputra Perkim, a daycare center for children with severe handicaps.
For more than 25 years, Elahe Norman has run the daycare center with no government assistance. Already on the Church's radar, Norman's daycare center has received special therapy chairs and wheelchairs from LDS Charities in the past. In addition, elders and sisters serving in Malaysia's capital city have served there for the past 10 years.
Read the full story at Malaysia Mormon Newsroom.
Sisters Kane and Patterson with Elahe Norman. Image retrieved from Mormon Newsroom.
Uganda
Members in Uganda covered multiple cities for their Mormon Helping Hands project this past June, cleaning hospitals, health centers, community markets, and residential areas in their yellow vests. Totaling over 1,800 service hours in 14 different cities, the community cleanup crew included both church and community members.
Read the full story on Uganda Mormon Newsroom.
Members collecting garbage in a community market. Image retrieved from Mormon Newsroom.
Tonga
Before the 100th anniversary of the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission's creation, members, friends, and community members participated in a service project that included cleaning up the streets in Tonga. Even the Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni joined the day of service, lending his hand to help.
"It's wonderful seeing the LDS take notice and value some of the important things that the country is in need of . . . such as promoting environmental cleaning throughout the country," Deputy Prime Minister Sovaleni told Mormon Newsroom.
Mormon Newsroom quoted another participant, who said, "Before dawn, it was like an army seeing the Latter-day Saints scattered throughout the whole of Tonga in their 'Mormon Helping Hands' vests, with lawn mowers, weed eaters, rakes, shovels, trash bags, blowers, and even painting equipment, working together in unity."
Read the full story on Pacific Mormon Newsroom.
Members help clean the streets of Tonga. Image retrieved from Mormon Newsroom.
France
Members of a stake in Lyon, France, responded to the refugee crisis by aiding thousands of refugees with hygiene kits. Since more than 250,000 refugees currently live in France, members of the Church decided to come together and make hygiene kits to provide for refugees' most basic needs.
Read the full story on Switzerland Mormon Newsroom (originally in German).
Members in France gather supplies for refugees. Image retrieved from Mormon Newsroom.
Puerto Rico
Mormon Helping Hands provided a public school in Fuig, Puerto Rico, the Escuela Elsa Couto Annoni, with new landscaping and decorations. Many branch members wore the signature yellow vests as they cleaned and decorated the public school before it reopened for school.
Read the full story on Puerto Rico Mormon Newsroom (original in Spanish).
Members help landscape the school. Image retrieved from Mormon Newsroom.
