Humanitarian Service in the Philadelphia Region
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors humanitarian relief and development projects around the world that benefit those of all faiths. These projects include emergency relief assistance in times of disaster and programs that strengthen the self-reliance of individuals, families and communities.
Hundreds of full-time volunteers with skills and experience in education, agriculture, social work, business and medicine serve throughout the world as part of these humanitarian projects. These relief efforts include responses to the recent tsunamis, the earthquake in Haiti, the hurricanes in Louisiana and Texas and the famines in Ethiopia.
While projects are carried out all over the world, local Church units are also engaged in humanitarian efforts for the benefit of our communities. In the Delaware Valley, local church members have and continue to participate in numerous humanitarian projects.
Some are relatively small like up-keep projects by a few families at The Good Samaritan Shelter in Phoenixville, PA, or collecting and cataloging books for a Philadelphia Boys and Girls Club library. And some projects have been larger in scope like the annual youth service project at the Elwyn Center for people with special needs in Media, PA.
In April 2011 and continuing the more than 5 year tradition, over 100 young men and women joined together to provide support to this valued Delaware County facility as pictured above and below.
Youth, ages 12-18 and from a dozen congregations, participated in planting trees, preparing garden beds, weeding, mulching playgrounds, washing vehicles, and providing musical entertainment for some of the residents at the Elwyn Center.
Kami Larson, Young Women’s President for the Valley Forge Stake, shares, “Our youth are outstanding and always willing to serve and support organizations and people in need in our area. This annual activity strengthens our young people through building relationships with each other and community members. It provides an opportunity to serve as our Savior would.”
These types of projects are carried out by Church members all over Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware each year. While communities benefit with each project, we all benefit from the efforts we make to join together with our neighbors in humanitarian service.
