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Nov 2006 Issue
by Danielle Ellis
The Tule Springs Stake, in the Northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley, has a deep commitment to humanitarian service. Thanks to the dedicated work of stake and ward Relief Society leaders, that commitment has produced wonderful results for children from the Las Vegas Valley all the way to Zambia, Africa.
Stake Humanitarian Specialist JoAnn Barney began by establishing a regular humanitarian morning meeting. Once a month, sisters meet to make baby quilts, newborn kits and other items for local outlets such as Nathan Adelson Hospice, the pediatric ward at Sunrise Hospital, or the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake.
The idea was to have humanitarian projects going on continually in the stake. Those who are available to help make quilts or loom newborn hats come together to enjoy the company of other sisters in the stake while they give hands-on service. Those who are not able to come often contribute in other ways, such as buying diapers or diaper pins online in bulk and donating them.
Right now the stake is working on The Zambia Project, coordinated by Jana Anderson, the Stake Service Coordinator. Working through a group called Mothers Without Borders, an LDS Humanitarian Services-approved group, the sisters are making kits for orphaned babies in Zambia. Due to the tremendous AIDS problems there, many thousands of babies are orphaned very young, many right after birth. Babies are not allowed to leave the hospital until they have a diaper and a tee shirt, an obstacle which many cannot overcome.
The sisters also learned that there are three things which can save the lives of thousands of babies every year: antibiotics, sterile instruments to cut the cord, and a hat. Many of the Tule Springs Stake sisters remarked, “I’ll never look at a hat the same way again.” Hats are easy to make and are a great activity for ward or stake enrichment meetings, Young Women’s activities, and even Activity Days for 8-11 year olds. The hats are made on small looms with yarn.
“We always check with the Humanitarian Center to see what their greatest current need is,” says Linda Covey, Tule Springs Stake Enrichment Counselor. “If it’s something we can do, we do it.” This attitude of working within their abilities to meet needs has had a profound effect on the sisters in the stake. “These problems in the world are so big, and on such a huge scale, that it can be overwhelming,” says Sister Covey. “But when we think that we can make a difference ‘One Child at a Time,’ it’s very encouraging.”
So far, the Tule Springs Stake sisters have finished 50 nightgowns, 50 receiving blankets and over 100 loom hats. The Zambia Project is ongoing through November, and the stake is even making the looms available for sisters to check out. Many are taking advantage, looming hats at home and for family home evening projects.
“We feel so strongly about these humanitarian projects,” says sister Covey, “because they heal hearts. They heal both the giver and the receiver.”
