Months of hard grafting have resulted in five North Clyde flood-impacted homes being refurbished thanks to a helping hand from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The church committed to the restoration work as part of a desire to partner with Wairoa and help those people whose homes were affected by the Cyclone Gabrielle flooding.

Two homes have been completed, and after 18 months of living in pods and garages, the owners, Waikohae Kapene and Julie and Manu Amato, have been able to move into their homes. The other three homes are also close to being finished.

A celebration of the work was held recently and attended by Elder John R. Higgins, Area Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Arama Puriri, the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Manager for the Pacific Area and local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ, Caleb West, who oversees Church congregations in Gisborne, Wairoa and surrounding areas.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the handover was a big day for Wairoa. “Cyclone Gabrielle devastated North Clyde, and people lost everything, including their hope. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave people their faith back and led by example by doing what it said it would. Families are now better off because of the generosity of the church and the donations from its members. We still have a long way to go and also now have the south side flooding to deal with, but we are so appreciative of this contribution. Thank you for making this happen for Wairoa.”

Elder Higgins said it was a blessing to have the privilege to work together. “The church saw a need and is proud to have been able to help. Thank you to the contractors and all those who brought this together.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes in countries worldwide. This is the first time a project of this type has been undertaken globally, and the decision to support Wairoa was based on data and information telling the story of Wairoa’s needs.

Additional partners, such as the New Zealand Red Cross, support the collaborative project, with The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints – Latter-day Saints Charities Pacific Area Arm covering other non-funded materials and labour costs. Donations for the project are principally from Church members but also from people around the world, who make the relief projects possible. One hundred percent of the donations given to the Church’s humanitarian services are used for relief efforts.

Caption: It was a celebration day for Waikohae Kapene, Julie and Manu Amato, whose flood-impacted homes were restored thanks to the generosity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

4 November 2024

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