Latter-day Saints' Helping Hands Campaign [1]
Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 13:18. Updated on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 - 22:05.
Thousands of citizens across all faiths, and various community groups and organizations and businesses, will unite on Saturday July 21 to begin a two month long, nationwide clean-up campaign initiated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The Church decided to initiate a Helping Hands clean up in preparation for the thousands of visitors expected to come to Tonga later this year," said Elder Sione Fineanganofo, the leader of the Church in Tonga. "Thousands of visitors will come for the open House and dedication of the remodeled and the expanded Nuku'alofa Temple, and hundred of Heads of State will come from all of the Pacific Islands for the Pacific Forum. The Helping Hands campaign will help present Tonga in the best possible light."
In addition to thousands of Later-day Saints , this massive nationwide campaign is fully supported by the government and a number of churches and other organizations, including : The Waste Authority Ltd, The Tonga Rotary Club , The Tongan Youth Congress, The Chamber of Commerce, and virtually all District and Township Officers. The campaign, across all the islands of the Kingdom of Tonga, will enabled rubbish to be picked up and then disposed in Tonga's newly built landfill . It is an opportunity for all Tongans to come together to beautify Tonga.
"Helping Hands is the service arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," said Elder Fineanganofo. "It is a worldwide program that unites million of Latter-day Saints men, women and children to provide much needed service in the communities where they live," In conjunction with this program the Church also provides medical aid, schooling, disaster relief and other humanitarian services for the families in need throughout the world , irrespective to their nationality, race or religion.
The kickoff for the Helping Hands project will be on Saturday July 21 with all volunteers reporting to the assembly point nearest to their home at 6:30 AM and working until 9:00 AM. The largest concentration of volunteers will assemble on Tongatapu at Fa'onelua Park. Prime Minister Feleti Sevele and other dignitaries will welcome this group of volunteers and express appreciation to them for their desire to clean up and beautify their community. Other officials will extend a similar greeting and message of appreciation at each of the main assembly points.
Those wishing to participate should report directly to any of the following assembly points on Tongatapu: Fa'onelua Park, Nuku'alofa Govt Primary School, 'Atele College, Ongokie ('Api 'o Ma'afu Tukui'aulahi) Vaini, Fonuamotu ('Api 'o Kalaniuvalu) Lapaha, 'Aho Matafolau ('Api 'o Lauaki) Talafo'ou,Falemahaki (Clinic 'I Kolonga), Tapakofe ('Api o Tu'ivakano) Nukunuku, 'Api Lautohi Pule'anga 'I Matahau , and Kolosi'I ('Api 'o Vaha'I) Fo'ui.
This clean up effort will continue for nine Saturdays with smaller groups of volunteers gathering at designated as an international "Clean up the World" day and all Tongan citizens are invited to once again participate in a campaign throughout the Kingdom of Tonga with thousands of volunteers.
Also, Tonga has been selected to host 300-400 visitors including Heads of State from all of the Pacific Islands at the Pacific Forum on October 15 through October 20. The two major clean-up events, on September 15 and 21, will serve as bookends to the sustained service provided over this two month period. This Helping Hands campaign will conclude just prior to the public open house for the Nuku'alofa Temple. The open house begins on September 29 and will continue through October 20. LDS, 11/07/07.