Aloha, Where East Meets West ~ A Day of Service
Although we have actively participated in the Interfaith Ohana Hawaii planning meetings since 2020, 2023 was the first time Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered a program for the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week/Month. As our faith tradition is grounded in performing acts of service, organizing a Day of Service for our Young Single Adults (YSA) seemed like a natural fit for us. Young Single Adults and faith leaders planned and executed interfaith service projects with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, local churches, Interfaith Ohana Hawaii, residential youth service centers, community members, and military personnel. A total of 180 youth volunteered and 14 faith traditions and 5 community partners participated in this epic event! The intention of this program was to introduce our LDS young adults to other faith traditions by performing good acts for others together in solidarity.
Our partners included: o The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
o St. Roch Catholic Church
o Connections Church
o Sunset Beach Christian Church
o Unity Windward
o Nu’uanu Valley Interfaith
o Windward Buddhist Mission
o Windward Soka Gakkai
o St. Peter’s Episcopal
o Waianae Bahai'i
o Bahai'i of Wahiawa o Hongwanji of Ewa
o Hongwanji of Pearl City
o Interfaith Ohana Hawaii
o Windward Interfaith Ohana
o RYSE-Residential Youth Services and Empowerment
o U.S. Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One
o Healthy Climate Communities
Our February 25th 2023 Day of Service Projects included: Mililani Stake - Ashton Winslow 720-323-5162 Working with Bahai'i of Wahiawa 8:00 am-Noon at Central Oahu Regional Park, for park cleanup.
Makakilo Stake - Tom Tuttle (808) 628-8581 Working with Connection Church, possibly Waianae Baha'is. 8:00 am-Noon Nanakuli State Beach park in Nanakuli. All Equipment provided for park cleanup. Come and Enjoy some donuts, orange juice, and water.
Kaneohe Stake - John Speed 808-782-8732 Working with Interfaith Windward Ohana, St. Peter’s Episcopal, and Windward Buddhist Mission (Kailua). Also invited are the YSA from the RYSE program (a year-long “after foster care” transition home). 9:00 -11:00 am Hamakua Marsh (Kailua) to clean up rubbish and invasive species removal. Lisa Marten and Rainbow Pharaon, for Education. Program Manager for Healthy Climate communities will be providing tools and direction for our volunteers.
Laie North Stake - Tui Niutupuivaha [email protected] Working with New Life Kahuku (Pastor Colburn) and Sunset Beach Christian Church (Pastor Garrett). 8:00 am-11:00 am Kahuku Elementary and Pear Haven in Sunset to paint railings and sidewalk curbs at the Elementary School and yard work at Pearl Haven.
Laie YSA 1st - President Touli (808) 478 – 7784 Working with Kahuku Saint Rock Catholic (Pastor Soosai and Jarma Hudson) 8:00 am-10:00 am at Hukilau Beach Clean-up (Temple Beach to Malaekahana) for beach Clean-up (Temple Beach to Malaekahana).
Honolulu & Honolulu West Stakes -Sarah Childs [email protected] No Interfaith partner. Working to remove invasive species at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge which is next to Kahuku Farms. Group 1: 11:00 am-Noon, Group 2: Noon-1:00 pm. Sign up here as spaces are limited.
Waipahu Stake - Duane P. K. Eldredge [email protected] Working with Hongwanji of Ewa, Hongwanji of Pearl City for Food Drive. Time/Location: (available via email).
Everyone went home tired but happy to have met new friends and done good work! We are already planning next year's WIHW projects!
For more photos of our many events please see our event on our UN World Interfaith Harmony Week - Interfaith Ohana Hawaii Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/interfaith.ohana.hawaii
Images for this event
