Thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved swiftly into the Gulf Coast states following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. They volunteered their time to remove debris and fallen trees from yards, temporarily patched up homes to protect them from further damage, provided food and clothing for those in shelters and donated money to humanitarian aid funds. Members who could not make the trip to the South organized people from their own communities to assemble hygiene kits, cleaning kits and other resources vital to restoring a sense of normalcy in the lives of those who lost so much.
As the volunteer effort
moves forward, Church members are sharing their experiences through
news releases to their local press and through the personal stories
they have shared with Church leaders. Only through their words can
one understand why Latter-day Saints and others willingly and
gladly answer the call to lift those in need.