On May 11th Pastor Herman Akins, and his congregation from Restoration House Ministry N.W. in Lakewood gathered with more than 200 youths from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was a united effort for a Humanitarian Youth Conference Service Project. They reached out to the homeless living within our communities, by donating and assembling hundreds of Humanitarian Personal Hygiene Kits.
Contributions for the event were made by Pastor Akins, families of the youth groups, Light Dental Studios, Madsen Dentistry, and many others.
Cloe Jones, Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the South Hill Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, says “As homelessness increases in our area, and solutions become harder to find, this project is a beautiful opportunity, to not only highlight the good that can come when two religious groups work together, but also emphasizes that each one of us – by our small and simple efforts, and when done in unity and love, can be the means by which hope comes to the hopeless, and a little relief comes the rescue, that so many who walk among us stand in need of.”
In early April, the annual Pierce County Point-in-Time Count found more than 1,400 people were experiencing homelessness here locally — a 16% decrease from 2018.
It’s surprising to see how much difference personal hygiene kits make to people. A tooth brush, a razor, a bar of soap and more can be a boost of confidence. Always remember, “A person is a person, no matter where they live.”
A big thank you to Pastor Akins and his congregation in Lakewood and the involved youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Puyallup. It’s always nice to see young people helping others in our community. We are all the same people.
