Volunteers from the Canada Winnipeg Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been volunteering at Harvest since December 2021, but they have made a big impact during that time.

“The missionaries are here for a mission. To serve the community and the people. They have the energy and the mindset that every minute of each day somebody or someone is in need. In need of food, shelter, clothing, and
most importantly in need of somewhere to feel that they belong, someone to talk too,” said Snookie Vallejo-Tumlos, Harvest’s volunteer services floor supervisor.

“The missionaries are very much a great help to us as they are very open minded, soft spoken and easy to work with. Other volunteers are comfortable working with them as they are friendly and approachable. They have a mission each day they are here to make the day worthwhile by working hard and work with a positive attitude that they accomplished something good each day.”

The young missionaries volunteer in the warehouse and the call centre. Church of Jesus Christ President Brent Carr said volunteering is important for the organization because service is important.

“It is extremely important for all our missionaries to volunteer because when they are serving others, they are following the example of their Savior. All our missionaries are encouraged to do about 10-12 hours of service a week in addition to their proselyting efforts to help bring people to Christ,” he said.

Carr noted the church chose Harvest based on research done by one of their parishioners, who felt the work atmosphere was friendly, there was lots of social interaction, and Harvest’s mission statement resonated with the church.

“(Our volunteers have said) that they really enjoy serving (Harvest). Some of the things that they have told (us) are that they love serving with other volunteers both young and old. They love how the people in charge are so
organized and friendly. They are glad that they can do things to help other people who are in need. It is a fun place to be. It gives them something different to do that is meaningful and helpful to others,” said Carr.