MORMON HELPING HANDS--MADRID STYLE

For those not already acquainted with the logo, this is the Spanish version of Mormon Helping Hands.  Known for the many varied acts of service rendered around the world, Latter-day Saints (Mormons) attempt to live what they preach when it comes to serving their fellow beings.  This past weekend in Madrid, in the cultural hall of the chapel located on the Temple Block, we gathered to lend a 'helping hand' to four separate projects, all happening at the same time:  1)  bring in donated non-perishable food items to be given to one of the local food banks;  2)  assist the local Red Cross in providing the place, and most of the bodies, for a blood drive (donation);  3)  make small heart-shaped pillows for use by newly-operated-on  breast cancer patients;  4)  the Young Women of the three Madrid Stakes provided a service (which I did not get to see) to the older couples who live in the 'dorms' and who serve in the Madrid Temple.

The food drive resulted in over 500 kilos (2.2 lbs./kilo) in non-perishable items being donated for the needy of this area.  The donated items were sorted, boxed, and then transported to the local food bank.  Lots of hands made the work go rather quickly.

The blood drive was a huge success also.  Even though flyers were posted around the  community, and anyone may have come and donated, most of the donors this time around were members of the Church.  They filled out the questionnaire in the hall (to see if they qualify) and then took turns on the few beds set up for the actual drawing of blood.  I think we may have surprised the officials with the number of volunteers who wanted to help.
                                                                                                 

The part of the project with the most participants was making of the heart pillows.  The pillows are use by the patients after surgery--the pillows being placed high up, under the arm, to keep the arm away from the incision, thus offering a small amount of relief.  I believe the total for the day was a bit over 200 pillows!!  Some traced the outline of the pattern and others did the cutting.  Ladies with sewing machines were in stand-by mode, ready to sew the two halves together, leaving a small place for the stuffing of the cotton batting.

Ahhhh, the stuffing!!!  Huge bags of loose cotton stuffing were brought in and 'stuffers' (rhymes with duffers!!!) were put to work making certain that enough of the 'stuff' was put inside in order to make them (pillows) worthwhile.  (the bags reminded me of the type of bag that bulk seed comes in for the farmers--or maybe bulk wood pellets).  

Stuffing hearts, and having a lot of fun doing it!!!

Even old duffers can be stuffers!!!  Or, at least keep the tables full for the other stuffers.

The most tedious part of the project was to then sew up the stuffing hole.  That probably took the longest.

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The very last part was to wrap each heart individually in a clear cellophane wrap.  It was impossible to stuff and sew fast enough to keep up with the wrappers, but the entire project was completed within a time span of about three hours.  We probably had about 200 volunteers there, sacrificing their time, on a Saturday, and seemed happy to be doing what they were doing.

We will wrap this entry up with a scripture from the Book of Mormon prophet-king Benjamin:  "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."  Service blesses both--the server and the receiver.