Warm blankets, bedding and linens were collected for needy refugees by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Tauranga area as part of a Mormon Helping Hands project. The donations were then shipped to Auckland.
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“Church members from Katikati to Te Kaha collected and sorted four pallet loads of donated goods which were delivered just as the cold winter began to set in,” said Roseanne Jones of Opotiki.
The donated items were shipped to Auckland courtesy of the transport and logistics company Mainfrieght.
UMMA Trust was chosen to distribute the bedding to refugee families. The Trust provides services to clients from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
It works with 24 different ethnicities and helps to re-unite families separated by war or terror that fall outside the criteria for assistance from government agencies, according to Robyn Parkinson who acted as liaison between the Church and UMMA Trust.
Upon receipt of the donations a UMMA Trust spokesman issued a statement of thanks:
“On behalf of all the refugee families who will receive warm bedding this winter we extend a heartfelt thank you to all those in the Tauranga Stake. Collecting 4 pallets of bedding was beyond our expectations – a stupendous effort. It arrived exactly at the start of the cold weather!”
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world regularly organize and volunteer to participate in local humanitarian projects under the banner of Mormon Helping Hands.