- Helping Hands Missionaries at Yarra Historic Railway.jpg
- Lift where you Stand Helping Hands Yarra.jpg
- President Vidmar and Missionaries receiving instructions for Yarra Railway project.jpg
- Yarra Hstoric Railway Helping Hands.jpg
- Helping Hands Volunteers at Yarra Historic Railway.jpg
- President Vidmar receives instructions for Helping Hands Missionaries.jpg
- Helpin Hands Cleanup at Yarra Railway
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Yarra Valley Railway is a one of a kind station situated in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. Immersed in the golden 50’s, the days of old fashioned service are alive and well at the Railway.
It is a Heritage railway operating on a section of the former Healesville railway which operated between Lilydale and Healesville in the Yarra Valley, northeast of Melbourne. The not-for-profit and volunteer based group operates the Yarra Glen-Healesville portion of the former Victorian Railways line as a tourist railway.
This well-oiled operation relies solely upon passionate individuals who generously donate their time, knowledge and workmanship free of charge.
One such passionate volunteer is Brett Morton, President of the Yarra Valley Railway Society. When Brett told his friend Steve Byrne of some of the needs at the railways, Steve knew just what to do. He rallied the volunteer Mormon Helping Hands to help with the clean-up and restorations.
Steve, a member of the Mooroolbark Ward (congregation) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, called on Melbourne Mission President Peter Vidmar and his missionaries of the Melbourne Mission along with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and community members to lend a Helping Hand. They joined together donning the familiar yellow Mormon Helping Hands vests and immediately began to sort sleepers around the Healesville compound. They cleaned up rubbish, moved railway equipment and even provided brush cutting and yard weeding.
When asked why missionaries were there helping out the railway, one missionary, Elder Reid commented, “I just responded to a text to be there and lend a helping hand. That's just what we do as missionaries”.
The Mormon Helping Hands program brings together members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their neighbours in providing humanitarian service in their local communities.