Just hours after heavy rains caused landslides and flooding in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 22, 2013, volunteers from Mormon Helping Hands were sparing no effort to help victims of the disaster, according to a recent Mormon Newsroom blog post. More than 300 people were forced out of their homes, and roads linking the Santos region to the state capital were blocked, according to the article. Mormon Helping Hands is a charitable organization that brings together members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called Mormons because of their belief in the Book of Mormon as a companion to the Bible) and their neighbors to help out in times of natural disasters and other emergencies.
Mormon Helping Hands volunteers assessed needs and then collected and sorted donations, according to an article on the Brazil Mormon Newsroom website. They also helped clean mud and other flood debris out of homes and businesses, according to the article. By the end of the day, the volunteers’ trademark yellow vests were brown with mud.
Local Church leaders coordinate the Mormon Helping Hands projects, and the program receives resources from Church of Jesus Christ humanitarian services. The program, which reflects the desire of Church members to follow the example of the Savior and serve others, was established in 1998 in South America and has spread to nearly every corner of the world.
This article was written by Lisa Montague, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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