Los Angeles members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined with nearly 50,000 other Church members thoughout California to make April 30 a statewide day of service as part of the Mormon Helping Hands program, providing community service and disaster relief worldwide. Similar projects also occurred on the same day across Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.
On Saturday morning, more than 400 volunteers gathered in South Central Los Angeles at George Washington Carver Park and the Watts Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club to clean, restore and beautify the area.
“Our motto is Parks Makes Life Better. This Mormon volunteer day enhances the park while instilling pride within the community,†said Joe R. Mendoza, Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. “The project also saves Los Angeles County do
llars in a tough economic time. We thank the many volunteers that are giving there time to sustain our park.â€
Nina Shurtliff, one of the LA volunteers who helped organize the service project, reflected on the meaning of her service: “This is an opportunity for us to give of our time and talents to lift those in need. It also gives us the opportunity to beautify city streets, parks, and recreational areas and to serve in other ways, showing that the Church is a friend to the community.â€
For more information: www.mhhcalifornia.org.
