A s the hurricane season continues, so do efforts in the southeastern United States to clean up and return life to some normalcy in the wake of Hurricane Fran.

Members from stricken and outlying areas are joining with neighbors and relief organizations to remove debris from driveways, yards and streets, to cover holes in roofs, and to provide food for homeless victims. Pres. John C. Taggart of the Raleigh North Carolina Stake, one of many areas stricken, lauded members for their willingness to reach out to those in need, including giving of vacation time to join work groups."Their nature is to help those in need," Pres. Taggart said during a telephone interview. "Without exception, the people have done everything they could and more to help. And they don't differentiate between members and non-members. They help because the need exists.

"Another thing that's impressed me is the way the priesthood organization has worked. It was evident that the home teaching system worked. The priesthood members checked on their families. They looked first to their own families, and when things were under control, they went to the families they home teach. Nobody asked them to. They just did it. There was very little need to organize. It just happened."

Pres. Taggart explained that quorum leaders and bishops have been coordinating local efforts, and missionaries from the North Carolina Raleigh Mission have offered their help. In addition, members of the Greensboro and Hickory North Carolina stakes have joined clean-up efforts. "The plan was to clean up the members' homes and then do the neighbors on either side and on the front and back and expand out from there," Pres. Taggart added.

The stake president explained that although the majority of work is aimed at clearing debris, there are a few instances in which members didn't have insurance. "We're providing a greater level of assistance there, but we are not supplanting insurance."

Pres. Taggart noted that in the aftermath of the crisis, the greatest needs were related to electricity. With the approval of Elder Alvie Evans, an area authority, generators, along with chain-saws, were purchased. Generators were supplied in such cases as Chloe Hodge, a member in her 80s who gets around with the use of an electric wheelchair. Pres. Taggart said a generator was needed to recharge the wheelchair's batteries.

"She was stuck," he added, speaking of the woman many members here refer to as the "matriarch of the Church in the area." Continuing, he said: "She wasn't even able to move from chair to bed until we got a generator for her."

Concerning relief efforts in the Wilmington North Carolina Stake, Pres. Bradford L. Walker said members have joined with the Red Cross and a Baptist association in providing some 16,000 meals a day to those left homeless. In addition, ward quorums have been organizing clean-up efforts.

The latest reports from the Wilmington stake - one of the hardest hit areas - estimate 12 LDS families lost their homes, with several being on the beach-front.

In other affected stakes - which include the Fayetteville, Kinston and Durham North Carolina stakes, and the Richmond Virginia Stake - members and missionaries are joining in similar relief and clean-up efforts.

Pres. Chris Lansing of the Richmond stake explained that Latter-day Saints are continuing to work together "to help out people with problems."