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.
The Helping Hands program reflects the desire of Mormons to follow the example of Jesus Christ by serving others. The effort receives resources from Church humanitarian services, and the projects are coordinated by local Church leaders.
The Mormon Helping Hands program was established in 1998, and since then hundreds of thousands of volunteers have donated millions of hours of service to their communities. The program started in South America but has since spread to nearly every corner of the world.
Volunteer Charles Adebayo of Nigeria summed up the feelings of many who participate in the Mormon Helping Hands program: “We find real happiness when we think outside of ourselves. That is true joy,” he said.
Some of the previous news releases that cover Mormon Helping Hands projects are listed below:
Mormon Helping Hands Pitch in to Aid Neighbors in Tornado-Ravaged Southern U.S. (5/6/11)
Thousands of Mormon Volunteers Lend a Hand in California and Hawaii (5/3/2011)
Day of Service in South Florida (4/13/2011)
Mormons Step Out Across Multiple States to Clean Up Their Communities (9/21/2010)
“Mormon Helping Hands” Program — A Decade of Service (10/27/2008)
Mormon "Helping Hands" Clean Up After Hurricane Ike (9/19/2008)
What Moves Mormons During Emergencies (8/11/2008)
Mormons Aid Flood Victims in Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin (6/17/2008)
New Zealanders Spruce Up Neighborhoods (3/12/2008)
Brazilian Senate Honors Church and Its Members (11/30/2007)
One Hundred Thousand Africans Find Joy in Continent-Wide "Mormon Helping Hands" Project (11/9/2007)
Countrywide Mormon Helping Hands Project Benefits Schools in Brazil (10/9/2007)
Florida Youth Service Project Example of Mormon Core Values (7/18/2007)
Mormons Work With Communities to Prepare for Hurricanes (7/5/2007)
60,000 Mormon Volunteers Help 300 Brazilian Hospitals (5/9/2007)
Latter-day Saints to Mobilize Another 4,000 Volunteers in Chainsaw Brigade's Second Wave (9/16/2005)
Joining Hands as Neighbors and Now Friends (9/13/2005)