Celebrating 175 Years of Service

Women from the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently celebrated the worldwide organisation’s founding 175 years ago with a special service project to bring much needed supplies to vulnerable women in Melbourne’s East.

After spending several months making 198 fleece blankets and gathering materials, 110 women gathered at the Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Wantirna on Saturday 21st October to assemble care packs for SalvoCare Eastern. They produced over 100 hygiene kits, 40 maternity packs and 106 smiley hampers. 100 “Days for Girls” packs were also assembled for shipment to third world countries.

The Stake (diocese) Relief Society President, Sheryl Bulfin, presented the blankets and packs to Kate Williams, a youth supervisor for SalvoCare Eastern, on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ms Williams, who has worked with extremely high risk, disadvantaged and homeless youth for more than 20 years said, “It brings tears to my eyes seeing you all work so hard and so diligently today as you have for so many years, to help and support our centres.”

“You don’t know how much the young people who receive these gifts are overwhelmed to know that somebody actually cares enough to do this for them,” she said.

Established in 1842, the Relief Society is the largest women’s organisation in the world, and as the name suggests, its ethos is to bring relief to those in need, strengthening others spiritually and temporally through ministering and service.

Ms Bulfin said providing relief to disadvantaged women in the community was the perfect way to commemorate the organisation’s 175 years of service.

“The Relief Society Motto is ‘Charity Never Faileth’”, she said. “As women and followers of Jesus Christ, we feel a great desire and joy in sharing what we have with those who really need it. The service project shows the impact we can have on our community when we work together.”

The day’s celebrations also included a delicious birthday cake and high tea, followed by a viewing of the worldwide broadcast of the General Women’s Session of the 187th Semi-Annual Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Learn more about the Relief Society here.