11 Life Saving and World Changing LDS Humanitarian Aid Donations

A soft cry shatters the silence. It comes from half the world away. Someone is in trouble. Someone is in need. A hero is sought.

And that hero is usually Clark Kent in a very fictional setting. Or, maybe, some other super hero that can control the weather or something. If there is a super hero that controls the weather (we’re looking at you Storm!), it’s a total rip off of Brigham Young, FYI!

With increasing frequency, though, in the real world the ears that many of those cries for help flutter into are LDS.  And the LDS definitely respond.

Not too terribly long ago, in 2009, President Monson added a fold to the mission:

“The LDS Church is adding "to care for the poor and needy" to its longstanding "threefold mission," which is to preach the LDS gospel, purify members' lives and provide saving ordinances such as baptism to those who have died.” (http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/lds/ci_13965607)

And we’ve taken it to heart. Whenever there’s a natural disaster you see floods of yellow shirts. Those shirts represent time spent. It’s not easy to put a donated number on. The work done in temples, too, represents donated time. It’s time spent helping people who can no longer help themselves. It’s also money invested in temples where that work can be done. Again, hard to assign an exact number to all those hours given.

Below is a very impressive (and far from complete) list of donations (far from complete) the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has made in recent years. All made to people, who like those helped in the temple, can’t help themselves.

Some of them are even quantifiable! Each bold headline represents one location aided:

1) LDS Church fixes windmills, improves water supply, donates hospital equipment, loads of school supplies and bikes so kids can get to those schools

·      “Water is gold here — and many residents have limited access to that life-sustaining treasure. Rainfall is rare, riverbeds are often dry, and many of the community windmills that draw essential water from deep wells have fallen into disrepair….

“…But there’s reason to expect better days in La Guajira. Thanks to the recent efforts of local Latter-day Saints and Church sponsored humanitarian projects, indigenous people here are enjoying improved access to water and medical care — along with better educational opportunities.

“Utilizing Church resources and mechanical know-how, fixes were made to windmills in 12 indigenous communities. More than 4,000 people are expected to benefit from the repairs. Reliable windmills mean reliable access to clean water. The health and quality of life for scores of local families are improving.

““The repaired windmills are allowing people to return to a more normal life because they have daily access to water in their communities…”

·      The Church also recently donated gynecological medical equipment to the Nuestra Senora de los Remedios Riohacha Hospital. The equipment is allowing more mothers in La Guajira to receive the care they need to safely deliver healthy babies. The donated equipment will serve an estimated 20,000 patients.

·      The Church also donated much-needed supplies to six rural schools. Donations included desks to get the children off the ground and seated on proper furniture to facilitate dignified learning and student enjoyment at the schools. Dirt floors were also covered with cement and a fresh coat of paint.

      It’s projected some 8,000 children will utilize the donated desks, dining tables and blackboards at their local schools. Many of the youngsters living in remote areas also received new bicycles to help them get to class each day. (https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865693922/Colombias-thirsty-La-Guarija-residents-quenched-by-Mormon-aid.html)

That’s impressive, isn’t it? Water, bikes, education, health improvement… That is a huge difference in that community. Here’s another donation – it makes me swell with pride:

2) Mormon women leaders deliver $120,000 donation to fight child sex abuse

“Leaders of the LDS Church's Primary, Young Women and Relief Society organizations delivered a check for $120,000 on Thursday to a Utah organization that helps children recover from child sexual abuse.

“Sister Joy D. Jones, general president of the church's Primary organization for children, presented the check to leaders of Utah's Children's Justice Centers. The state's 22 centers provide warm, welcoming places for child victims of sexual assault to tell their stories to investigators and for their parents to learn about resources available to their children and families.

“"The Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints supports you in the effort to support, sustain and strengthen children and families," Sister Jones said. "On behalf of the church, we are pleased to provide $120,000 to help you establish on-site medical services at Children's Justice Centers throughout the state."” (http://www.ldsliving.com/Mormon-Women-Leaders-Deliver-120-000-Donation-to-Fight-Child-Sex-Abuse/s/85196)

And this one – wheelchair access isn’t something people think about often. But if you need one and can’t get one – well that could shut down your life. That’s a good place to aim some aid:

3) Donations of Over 55,500 wheelchairs to People In Need

“An estimated 6 million to 12 million people in India need wheelchairs. Unfortunately, they face deep misunderstandings about what a functional, permanent wheelchair is, said Vinod Krishnan, 37, the South Asia regional director of Motivation India, one of LDS Charities' partners in a nation of 1.32 billion people…

“A poorly made wheelchair doesn’t last. A poor fit in a wheelchair limits what a user can do with it.

“"The LDS Charities wheelchair initiative provides opportunities for people to improve their life by enhancing their mobility through an appropriate wheelchair that has been selected and fit for them," Eric Wunderlich, manager of the LDS Charities’ wheelchair initiative. "The appropriate wheelchair allows for the person to become increasingly self-reliant. They can now go to school, to work, participate in more family events and more…"

“The initiative has expanded rapidly. LDS Charities has given wheelchairs to people in 133 countries since 2001. In 2016 alone, LDS Charities provided 55,500 wheelchairs across 48 countries.” (https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865687060/Nine-years-later-LDS-Charities-wheelchair-still-keeps-man-mobile-in-India-village.html)

Some might think this next one is an unexpected donation for the Church. It’s really not, though. It’s a great cause in need, and so a check was written:

4) Contribution to the Utah Pride Center

“The Utah-based Mormon church has given its first-ever charitable donation to an LGBT community center in Salt Lake City.

“The Utah Pride Center announced the donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Wednesday. The center and church have not disclosed the amount of the donation.

“The center says in a statement that the contribution will be used for a program helping homeless and low-income youth.

“The center’s board president Kent Frogley says the donation marks a significant moment in the relationship between the church and the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community.

“When asked for a comment on the donation, LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins referred to a letter grant letter from the faith saying they were grateful to help with the project.” (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/02/mormon-church-lgbt-donation_n_7713568.html)

This one, though, might be a little unexpected. But if you see people genuinely trying to help – help them help. Right?

5) $250,000 to Episcopal Migration Ministries

Bishop Hayashi pointed to last month’s $250,000 donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Episcopal Migration Ministries — the second such cash and in-kind donation in as many years — as well as a visit from EMM officials to the LDS Church’s Salt Lake City headquarters as examples as well as Mormon volunteers assisting locally in community feeding programs sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Utah. (https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900007984/utahs-episcopalian-bishop-cites-lds-donations-as-example-of-differing-faiths-working-together.html)

From here the numbers start to get a little bigger:

6) $1 Million to the World Food Programme

“LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church’s Welfare Department, donates $1 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) in its ongoing support to help feed people who are hungry across the globe….

““The food that they will receive through this contribution, in combination with the tools and seeds provided by other partners like the Food and Agricultural Organization, will allow them to resume farming and ultimately help improve the food security situation in the region,” he said.

“The partnership with WFP that began in 2014 and spans 11 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East reached a significant milestone of feeding those who are hungry.

“This contribution means many lives will be saved in Kasai,” said Prerana Issar, director of private partnerships at WFP. “Since our partnership began, the members and leadership of the LDS Church have now donated more than $10 million to WFP. Thanks to this generosity, we have been able to feed more than 1.26 million people in emergencies across the globe, people whose lives were at risk because of hunger.”” (https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/lds-charities-1m-in-aid-will-help-those-suffering-in-dr-congo-crisis)

“…lives will be saved in Kasai.” That’s what it said up there.

7) Huge $1.2 million donation to U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

“With a recent gift totaling $600,000 in cash and commodities, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is expressing appreciation to the LDS Church for its combined, two-year $1.2 million contribution of money and in-kind donations.

““At a time of our greatest need for support, we are grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all its members for remembering those in need, specifically the refugees and immigrants we service,” said Eskinder Negash, USCRI’s acting chief executive officer in a new release this week.

““We will make good use of these resources to welcome the stranger and help our clients to seek new opportunities and rebuild their lives.”” (https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865693563/US-Committee-for-Refugees-and-Immigrants-acknowledges-12M-LDS-donations.html)

Here’s a big number jump. I’m pretty sure that #6 up there is rolled into this one.

8) 11 Million Dollars Donated to Famine Relief in Africa and the Middle East

“Mormons are providing an additional $11 million in assistance for victims of famine in eight countries in Africa and the Middle East. The humanitarian effort was recently approved by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide assistance to troubled parts of the world experiencing drought, civil conflict, disease and other challenges.  

“LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church, is partnering with 11 global relief organizations to support 25 projects in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, Niger, Kenya, Uganda and DR Congo.

“"During our recent visits to Africa, we have seen firsthand the importance of helping to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters who face great challenges and difficult circumstances,” said Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop of the Church. “Contributions from our faithful members provide funding for food, shelter, clean water, medical care and other life-sustaining supplies for nearly three-quarters of a million people — including severely malnourished children."

“The Church’s donation of cash and commodities will benefit more than 1.1 million people for up to one year.” (https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/latter-day-saints-provide-famine-relief-africa-middle-east)

I read a comment once that ridiculed the Church for building temples instead of helping the homeless. This next article was fully available at the time that comment was written:

9) $52 Million to nine groups that serve the homeless

“The LDS Church continued to provide money Thursday to help the homeless near its global headquarters, announcing that it will give $10 million to Shelter the Homeless.

“The money will fund the construction and development of transitional housing in the Salt Lake Valley in support of a massive effort to remake Utah's response to homelessness.

“"Homelessness affects all sectors of our communities," said Bishop Gérald Caussé, presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Around the world, we join hands and hearts with dozens of partners engaged in alleviating suffering in their respective communities, and in the process we point people toward greater self-reliance."

“The church now has donated more than $52 million over the past decade to nine groups that serve the homeless in the Salt Lake Valley.” (https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/lds-church-gives-10-million-to-help-salt-lake-city-homeless)

I feel like #8 is tenderly tucked away inside of this number too. When you’re talking numbers in the billions, there’s probably lots of things tenderly tucked inside:

10) $1.2 Billion On Welfare and Humanitarian Efforts

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is widely known for the humanitarian services that it provides worldwide. Last month, during a lecture given at the University of Oxford, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church said that the Church spends around $40 million on humanitarian, welfare, and other charity projects, worldwide, each year. It has been doing that for the past 30 years. Also, volunteers from the Church devote millions of hours of labor each year to assist in the projects.

“Going by the figure provided by Elder Oaks, the LDS Church has so far spent about $1.2 billion in humanitarian and welfare efforts.” (https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/christianity/lds-church-has-spent-1-2-billion-on-welfare-and-humanitarian-efforts)

And with one thousand thunders we wrap up the list. This was part of a larger list published after President Monson passed. It was talking, in part, about his burning desire to help others.

Clearly, that is exactly what he did:

11) 1.89 billion to Humanitarian Aid in 189 Countries

The Church has provided $1.89 billion (year ending 2016) in humanitarian aid in 189 countries since 1985, the same year President Monson was called into the First Presidency. (https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/president-monson-rsquo-s-service-by-the-numbers)

I do not know if that $1.89 billion includes Bishops helping recently unemployed ward members pay the mortgage, buy groceries…etc. I feel like it doesn’t. I also don’t think it includes things like the Perpetual Education Fund. Both of those items would add a hefty sum to the total donations. PEF does get paid back, it’s a loan – but it’s a very helpful low, low interest loan with the potential to lift entire nations out of poverty. Eventually.

How much of this aid comes from church-owned business profits? How much comes from City Creek? How much of all of this comes from fast offerings?

Does it matter where it comes from? No. It most definitely does not.

But it sure makes stuffing those little grey envelopes a little more exciting, doesn’t it?