Volunteers from the congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined together for a day of service in Delhi on Saturday, 25 July, 2015. They gathered from all over the city in the early morning hours to clean and paint 15,000 square feet of surface at the Multipurpose Training Center for the Deaf, a branch of All India Federation of the Deaf in New Delhi. The Center provides vocational training with residential facilities for deaf boys and girls. Most of the students were away studying for exams so they had a wonderful surprise to come home to at the end of their day.
The 75 volunteers, aged 12-30, donned their Helping Hands vests, swept the walls in preparation, cleaned fans and lighting fixtures and then began the painting. The walls had been repaired earlier by professionals sent by LDS Charities. Dining rooms, recreational room, bedrooms, hallways, stairs and entrances as well as the outside were given new life with the fresh paint. The youth then scrubbed the floors. New curtains had been made by the women of the Church the previous week and were hung in the rooms of the students.
- group
- Opening prayer
- Giving directions
- Vikrum Dutt talking
- Getting supplies
- roller
- sign
- missionaries
- Dining area
- Elder Evensen and Suresh Ramakrishna
- Administrators
- Stven Goldrup
- rec room
- Entertainment room
- Elder Jalagam
- Sister missionaries
- Sister missionaries ready to serve the food.
- Lunchtime
- Lunchtime
- Enjoying lunch break
- Elder Parker
- Sister Evensen
- Waterfountain
- Anil
- Rishab
- Kanikarj
- Girls
- two rollers
- Elder Parker
- large group
- administration
- sign
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
It was a hot day in New Delhi but that did not slow down the enthusiasm of the volunteers. They worked in teams, paused for lunch, and then back to work again. At the end of the day, exhausted youth boarded the bus grateful for the opportunity they had of giving service to others. "We were united in our purpose of helping others" said Elder Muthyam.
It can be difficult finding good employment without normal hearing. LDS Charities donated sewing machines, computers and monitors for the students to learn skills that will help them acquire good jobs. Benches for the dining room, chest of drawers for each room, air coolers and air conditioners, a ping pong table for entertainment and personal hygiene kits for the students were also donated by LDSC.
“The service project was a great show of strength and service by the young volunteers of our church” said Suvarna Katuka, a leader in the congregation, “and provided healthy living conditions for the students”. Vikrum Dutt, Administrative Director for the Center was grateful for the service. It was a wonderful day.