Humanitarian Services

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Humanitarian Services is an arm of the LDS Philanthropies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The organization's humanitarian aims are to aid impoverished families worldwide in becoming self-reliant, healthy, and educated as well as provide aid in emergency situations caused by wars or natural disasters.

Humanitarian Services accepts donations for its causes from any charitable source. From the organization's web site:

“ 100 percent of all donations are distributed directly to those in need.[1][2]

Extensive storage and inventory capabilities allow for handling and distributing of many tons of disaster relief supplies each year.

Other initiatives include providing potable water sources, training for medical staff, help for homeless children, and public health education.

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Contents

[edit] Overview

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church, considers humanitarian work to be an essential part of its mission to bless all humanity in emulation of Jesus Christ “who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed” (Acts10:38). Throughout its history, the Church has always provided for those in need and is perhaps best known for its efforts to take care of its own. The first permanent humanitarian organization of the Church was created in 1955 at the Church-owned Brigham Young University. In the early years of the Church after its founding in 1830, little organized, systematic humanitarian work was attempted due to the impoverishments of the early members and continuous persecution. In 1842, founder and Prophet to the Church, Joseph Smith, organized the Women’s Relief Society, an essential aim of which was to provide “relief” to suffering members and ultimately to all people. The Relief Society continues to fulfill this mission today, though the LDS Church has expanded its humanitarian efforts and organized welfare, disaster relief, educational support, and sustained growth development programs under the heading of the LDS Philanthropies. All of these initiatives, as well as support and advice on personal and community preparation for disasters can be found on the Church’s Provident Living website[3].

LDS Philanthropies, formally called the LDS Foundation, includes more than just Humanitarian Services. It also includes a scholarship program, employment services and so forth. Money and in-kind items can be donated to the Humanitarian General Fund where the money or supplies are then given to an area that is in need. According the LDS Philanthropies website, in 2005, the LDS Church had 3,512 humanitarian missionaries with a total of 738,821 days of volunteer labor and provided almost 1 billion dollars worth of goods and services in 163 countries.[1] The following is a brief list of some of the areas in which LDS Philanthropies has initiatives.

[edit] LDS Philanthropies Initiatives

Emergency Response is the part of the LDS Church’s humanitarian efforts of which most people are aware. Funds and supplies in this area are used to help victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes, as well as other disasters such as wars or political unrest. Supplies in this area are gathered and stored before a crisis so supplies can be sent literally within hours of an emergency. Volunteers are also on call so if they are needed they can be reached and organized within a few hours. The LDS Church is renowned for its ability to organize its members in various regions of the world to respond to emergency and facilitate distributing goods.[2]
Wheelchair Distribution is another program of the LDS Church crucial to helping those in need. Studies estimate that only one percent of the disabled in the world have wheelchairs. For the rest, being without a wheelchair means for adults that they can not provide for themselves or their families, and for children it often means not being able to attend school. By providing wheelchairs to those in need, the Church hopes to help people become more self-reliant which is an important tenant of LDS beliefs.[3]
The Clean Water Service provides clean water and wells to people who otherwise would most likely contract deadly diseases because of the dirty water. Studies estimate that nearly 3 million people, mostly children, die each year from diseases related to unsanitary water.[4]
The Neonatal Resuscitation program sends doctors and volunteers to areas where infant mortality rate is high. They are able to teach people in the area how to resuscitate newborns as well as provide simple medical equipment. This service is greatly needed as it is estimated that 4 million newborns each year. Approximately 10% of these suffer from asphyxia during birth. Nearly 90,000 of these infants die because those who care for them do not know how to resuscitate them.[5]
The Vision Treatment Training program teaches facilities and medical personnel in developing countries how to treat preventable or reversible blindness. There are 45 million people in the world who are blind, and in developing countries being blind often means poverty. So this program helps reduce this problem.[6]

In addition to these efforts, the Mormon Church also has over 250 job development and placement centers around the world. In 2001, the Church began the Perpetual Education Fund which provides money to cover tuition and other school expenses to people in developing nations. As of 2004, tens of thousands of individuals had been given assistance. So far this program has operated primarily in South America and Oceana. The LDS Church has also begun producing a nutrition-rich porridge named Atmit to help during acute famines. The Church Welfare program owns farms, ranches, canneries, and other food producing facilities to provide temporary food relief for families and individuals. LDS Philanthropies frequently works with other charities and NGOs such as the Red Cross, Catholic charities and even various Islamic charities for which the LDS Church has produced halaal food.[7]

[edit] Sources and funds for humanitarian work

All of these initiatives require manpower and while there are some full-time employees in administrative and clerical functions, there are also thousands of volunteer humanitarian missionaries. In emergency situations, local members and full-time missionaries who would normally devote their time to proselyting will participate in relief efforts, but in many of these more permanent initiatives the LDS Church uses Senior Missionary couples.

These couples are retired members of the Mormon Church who devote six months to two years of their time to go anywhere in the world, typically at their own expense, to participate in these projects. Because of this volunteer force, the LDS Church is able to use 100 percent of money and goods donated in helping those in need. These missionaries often serve in activities related to their former profession. Doctors and nurses will serve medical missions either in the Neonatal Resuscitation programs or special missions to countries in need of dentists, eye doctors, surgeons and so forth. People with agricultural or engineering backgrounds will serve on the clean water initiative or else help farmers in developing countries.

Other members who are still working and raising families frequently donate time, money, and in-kind donations to help in these ventures. Members can volunteer at local canneries and farms to help produce food for the needy. They can volunteer to create the medical kits needed for doctors and new mothers in developing nations and many help make blankets for needy families. Many of these local initiatives are organized by the Relief Society. This volunteer force allows the LDS Church to reduce operating expenses and serve more people with their resources.

in 2007, $104.9 million of aid was given throughout the world.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Welfare Services Fact Sheet-2005
  2. ^ Emergency Response. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  3. ^ Wheelchairs. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  4. ^ Clean Water. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  5. ^ Neonatal Resuscitation Training. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  6. ^ Vision Treatment. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  7. ^ Provident Living Home. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.

[edit] See also

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