Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Faa’a, French Polynesia, have been collecting used cans as a part of an interfaith effort to help pay for the medical expenses of homeless persons in Tahiti.
The nine congregations that comprise the Faa’a Stake began collecting cans earlier this year as a part of the “Les Canettes de L’Amitie” (“Cans of Friendship”), an ongoing project that now involves LDS Church members, the local Catholic parish, and other community volunteers.
The first truckload of aluminium cans collected by Church members was delivered to Father Christophe at the Presbytery of the Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown Papeete, Saturday, May 27. The cans will be taken to a local recycling centre and the proceeds will be used to help families in need.
The Saturday morning event was covered by local news media, including a television report by Polynesie Première.
The following link goes to the report: (http://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/polynesie/tahiti/polynesie-francaise/canettes-solidarite-478261.html).
Robert Richmond, the first counsellor in the Faa’a Stake Presidency, and Geneviève Mana, Faa’a Stake Director of Public Affairs, were interviewed for the television news report, which praised the Church for its efforts to help the less fortunate and noted the cooperation between the two faiths.
Additional monthly collection days have been scheduled through December at each of the LDS chapels in Faa’a.
Father Christophe started the “Cans of Friendship” project in 2013. In March, a committee representing the Faa’a stake approached him asking if the LDS Church could assist in the benevolent effort.