Raisins: Part of the Lord’s Work

  • 3 September 2010

Article Highlights

  • Thousands of Church members volunteer throughout the year.
  • Raisins produced here go throughout the world.
  • 100% of the crop is donated.

In Madera, California, an 80-acre vineyard owned by the Church hosts thousands of volunteers every August. These volunteers harvest the grapes and lay them on trays in the sun to become raisins. Many other volunteers come to the vineyard throughout the year to gather the finished raisins and tend the vines, among other tasks.

The volunteers are members of eight stakes in the Madera area. Some members have family traditions of volunteering at the vineyard; some members come at great personal sacrifice, as illustrated by the Spanish ward shown in the film. Some have been recipients of the Church’s welfare program and serve at the vineyard with a heightened sense of compassion for those who will receive the fruits of their labors.

Watch the film to see what the Church is accomplishing with this vineyard and what the work means to those who serve as well as those who are served.

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