A Home Depot donation of $2 million in tools and accessories and the volunteer efforts of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Georgia will help some Haitians rebuild after last month's devastating earthquake.
Habitat for Humanity, working through Hands On Atlanta, sent out an urgent call for volunteers to assemble 8,000 basic tool kits for the people of Haiti. The kits are designed to help Haitian families make immediate repairs and construct emergency shelters before the rainy season hits. Kit materials include a bucket, a tarpaulin, wire, rope, a pry bar, mason's chisel and trowel, gloves, nails, hammer and a saw. The kits will be distributed by Habitat employees and partners.
In addition to the many Latter-day Saint volunteers, students from nearby Emory University and employees of Delta Airlines, Wachovia Bank and Shane's Rib Shack also participated. Volunteers worked two shifts per day, between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., on 8-12 February.
Church volunteer coordinator in Atlanta, Beverly Howerton, said hundreds of Latter-day Saints from the greater Atlanta area worked alongside others gathered at the Whirlpool Corporation warehouse in McDonough, Georgia. "Project coordinators were grateful for the response," Howerton said. They remarked, "Boy, did the Mormons show up!"
