Local Church Groups Initiate Community Service Projects in the Monmouth Oregon Area

On September 17, 2011 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Monmouth Oregon Stake will participate in a National Day of Service in response to Elder Henry B. Eyring's suggestion that in order, "To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Church welfare program, members worldwide will be invited to participate in a day of service¹."

A stake is similar in geographic area to a Catholic Diocese. The Monmouth Oregon Stake boundaries go from the Oregon coast to the Willamette River and include Polk, Yamhill, and Lincoln Counties. It contains ten wards and one branch. A ward is what the basic ecclesiastical unit of the Church is called. It is comparable to a protestant congregation or catholic parish, and normally has about 300-600 members². Branches are smaller congregations than wards, normally less than 200 people³.

The Church Welfare system began in 1936 during the great depression in an effort to foster self reliance and hard work in an effort to help the poor take care of themselves. The program fosters self-sufficiency while providing for the needs of families and individuals in crisis. Since the Church is presided over by a lay clergy it relies on the volunteer effort of thousands of men and women across the world. It is in this spirit of volunteerism that Elder Eyring has asked congregations to select worthy service projects in which Church members can become involved.

The abysmal economy has hit public schools in Oregon very hard. Education is a high priority in the Church and in this spirit, the Eola Hills, Glenn Creek, Brush Hills wards and The Spanish Branch will be working with West Salem High School along with the parent teacher organization and possibly another Christian Congregation to help with major landscaping and maintenance projects. The Dallas first and second wards along with parent teacher organizations will be assisting five local schools with various landscaping and maintenance needs. At the invitation of Dallas school district Christy Perry, representatives of the church will meet with the school board in August to coordinate the projects. The Monmouth second ward, which is the young single adult ward (ages 18-30), will be helping Western Oregon University with many of their ground maintenance requirements. Many of the members of this ward also attend the University.

The Willamina ward will be helping people in their community who are shut ins or elderly and unable to care for their lawns and stand in danger of being fined by code enforcement. They will be maintaining all those properties throughout the summer and into the fall.

Lincoln City Ward is working Cutler City Wetland Park where they will improve and maintain walking trails.

Monmouth first and third wards are working together on maintenance projects for Polk County Living and Ron Wilson Center.

There will be around 800 or more people involved in these service projects in five cities. Church members hope to make an important contribution to the organizations with whom they are partnering with in this effort.

1. Henry B. Eyring Opportunities to do Good April 2011 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

2. Encyclopedia of Mormonism page 1541

3. Encyclopedia of Mormonism page 219