Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) joined more than 2000 volunteers around the island for Clean Up Barbados 2016. This is the sixth year the LDS Church has participated in the country-wide annual program aimed at making Barbados cleaner. The event, coordinated by a Barbadian NGO, The Future Centre Trust (FCT), was first implemented in 2009 in conjunction with the Clean Up the World campaign. As stated on the website (http://cleanupbarbados.org/), their mission is “to stimulate awareness and encourage responsible management of the vital relationship between people and nature leading to a sustainable future for all”.
- Youth and Leaders Carrying Trash Bags
- Helping Hands Clean Local Park
- Young Men Participate in Service Project
- Members Clear Large Debris from Park
- Mormon Helping Hands at Work
- Volunteers with total trash collected
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Members from each of the three LDS congregations in Barbados came together early September 17, 2016, to beautify the Silver Sands Park and vicinity. Local LDS leaders first noticed this location was in need of attention and coordinated Mormon Helping Hands efforts with FTC and Clean Up Barbados. Numerous oversized pieces of litter and approximately 20 bags of garbage were removed from the park, ravine, roadside, and grassy areas by members wearing the recognizable yellow “Mormon Helping Hands” jerseys. It is estimated participants contributed at least 40 hours of work during this community improvement service project.
Among the volunteers were a large number of youth full of enthusiasm and smiles despite the rainy weather. When asked if he was glad he participated, one youth responded, “Yeah! It gave me a different perspective on the earth and how to treat it, and how much garbage can destroy it.”
Mormon Helping Hands is a program within the LDS Church directed by local leaders which provides community service and disaster relief to those in need. Officially started in 1998, hundreds of thousands of Mormon Helping Hands volunteers have donated their manpower throughout the world. The program allows LDS Church members the opportunity to better their communities through service, an important tenant of the LDS faith.