Difference between revisions of "Template:Humanitarian Aid Updates"

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'''Mormons Provide Humanitarian Aid to the Philippines After Typhoon Haiyan'''
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'''Mormons Provide Humanitarian Aid Around the World'''
  
[[Image:tacloban-missionaries-6.jpg|400px|thumb|alt=Mormons help Philippines|right]]
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[[Image:Mormon_Helping_Hands_Arkansas.jpg|400px|thumb|alt=Mormons help Arkansas|center]]
  
Mormons believe in preparedness, and LDS leaders prepared [[Mormon missionaries]] serving in the Philippines with 72-hour emergency kits, and evacuated many missionaries to safer areas before the storm struck.
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The Savior taught, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). Following the admonition of the Master, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actively engage in the service of their fellowmen in many areas of the world.  
  
Mormons are able to mobilize very quickly after natural disasters.  Congregations are organized by location, and all have the same line of authority.  The structure enables leaders to account for individuals under their care, and enables individuals to get word up the line of authority.   Members are counseled to store food and prepare emergency kits, as well as to establish patterns of evacuation and communication within families in case of emergencies.  After the disaster, the Church goes through the local hierarchy to assess needs and get aid in quickly.
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The service that they render is not limited to other Latter-day Saints in need, but rather they are always ready and willing to “lift up the hands which hang down, and [to stable] the feeble knees” (Hebrews 12:12) of anyone in their hour of need. Thus, the words of King Benjamin in the [[Book of Mormon]] who taught, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17) have practical application in their life.
  
Typhoon Haiyan was more powerful than hurricane Katrina, and may have killed over 6,000 people [http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2013/1213/Typhoon-Haiyan-death-toll-tops-6-000-as-officials-target-longterm-recovery] and left a million homeless.  It was so large that it would have covered nearly the entire area of the continental U.S.  Immediately, Church leaders in Salt Lake City were in continual contact with regional Church leaders in the Philippines.  Within a very short time, the Church was providing shelter, food, water and other basic supplies to evacuees and displaced families. [http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/interview-brent-nielson-president-philippines]
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==The Church of Jesus Christ Humanitarian Programs==
  
More than 14,000 members and others have sought refuge in 200 Church meetinghouses.  
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The primary purpose of the humanitarian work of The Church of Jesus Christ is to help those in need who are not members of the Church. In an effort to help as many people as possible, the Church has established various humanitarian projects which operate throughout the world. These programs include LDS Charities, Helping Hands, and LDS Philanthropies. The Church also maintains the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, Utah which was established in 1991 to “prepare humanitarian supplies for use worldwide and train those desiring to develop employable skills to become self-reliant.
  
Missionaries were evacuated to higher ground as Haiyan approached, and all missionaries equipped themselves with 72-hour emergency kits.  Even so, some missionaries had to rely on prayer and the help of God to get to safety. [http://www.ldsmag.com/article/1/13565] All Mormon missionaries were accounted for, and those stranded in stricken areas were flown to Manilla.  Thereafter, many were mobilized to help.  Following the repackaging of rice, the missionaries along with Filipino soldiers distributed goods in Tacloban to those in great need.
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[[Image:lds-humanitarian-center.jpg|400px|thumb|alt=Mormon Humanitarian Center|center]]
  
In Utah, former Mormon missionaries to the Philippines organized to collect donations to send back to the country in which they served, and a Moslem benefactor matched up to $100,000 in donations made to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide aid.  The Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake City regularly partners with the LDS Church on other humanitarian issues. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591324/Muslim-benefactor-will-match-contributions-to-Mormon-churchs-typhoon-relief.html]
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==The Members' Role in Humanitarian Work==
  
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The Savior taught, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). We show our love for one another when we are willing to follow the admonition of the Lord to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. We are also taught that we are to visit the fatherless and the widow in their afflictions.
  
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Members can get actively engaged in humanitarian efforts in several ways. One way that members can become involved is through service in their local community. Service in the community can include things such as cutting a neighbor’s lawn, washing a neighbor’s car, offering to run errands for an elderly person or someone who is otherwise unable to do so themselves, or babysitting for a neighbor. Service in the community might also include taking part in projects that benefit the community as a whole. Members should also seek to build community relations by being actively involved in community service projects that may be spearheaded by people of other faiths, or if they identify something that would benefit the community that has not been addressed, they should take the initiative to bring about a solution. No matter how a person chooses to serve his community, and no matter how small the service may seem, the service alone will say myriads about that person and his faith.
  
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President [[Dieter F. Uchtdorf]], Second Counselor in the [[First Presidency]] of The Church of Jesus Christ, in the October 2011 General stated,
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:Too often we notice the needs around us, hoping that someone from far away will magically appear to meet those needs. … When we do this, we deprive our neighbor of the service we could render, and we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to serve.
  
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Another way that a member can be involved in humanitarian efforts is by donating to the Humanitarian Aid Fund. Donations can be made through a local ward or branch of the Church by filling out a Tithing and Other Offerings slip and indicating the amount on the “Humanitarian Aid” line, mailing a check, or donating online through the Humanitarian Services Giving section of the LDS Philanthropies website. Donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund allow the Church to help people throughout the world by providing relief and ultimately helping them to become self-reliant.
  
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There are also many members who become actively engaged in community service or helping with relief efforts during natural disasters and catastrophes by volunteering to be a part of the [[Mormon Helping Hands]]. The Mormon Helping Hands is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ, under the direction of the [[Priesthood]], which provides community service and/or disaster relief for those in need. The service that is rendered by the Helping Hands helps to establish the name and reputation of the Church by dispelling some of the misconceptions about the Church, and proving that Mormons are Christians who are willing to give of their time and service for the good of the communities in which they live.
  
In February 2014 [http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/64391/Bishop-Stevenson-visits-Church-members-in-Tacloban.html an article was posted in the LDS Church News] reporting on the ongoing LDS humanitarian aid to Tacloban, Philippines.  As in the 2004 devastating tsunami that struck coastal regions in Asia, the Mormons were often the first to arrive, but also last to leave, with aid continuing through years of rebuilding. Forty-two Latter-day Saints were killed by typhoon Haiyan, and many lost their homes.  "...the Church sent relief supplies and partnered with local and international relief organizations to assist with food, shelter, water purification, debris removal, and livelihood restoration projects. To date, Church members have constructed more than 250 shelters, with new homes being completed every day....Members are receiving vocational training and learning skills as carpenters, electricians or plumbers. The Church is also helping them obtain basic tools needed to construct shelters to house those who lost their homes during the disaster." 
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:“Each family is given materials to build a new shelter and tools to assist,” explained Mormon Area President Brent Nielson. “The family builds their own home with the assistance of a carpenter and three other members. Once the shelter is built then the family assists nine other families in building their shelter. At the end of that experience, the family is given the tools to keep and a certificate of carpentry is issued certifying that they have learned basic carpentry skills. They are then able to apply for the many construction jobs that are now available in Tacloban. In the process, the Church helps them help themselves. They help other members and in the process gain a marketable skill.”
 
  
Updates are available at [http://www.newsroom.lds.org LDS Newsroom].
 
 
 
Donations for LDS Church relief efforts can be made at [http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse LDS Emergency Response].  
 
Donations for LDS Church relief efforts can be made at [http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse LDS Emergency Response].  
  

Revision as of 11:57, 12 July 2014

Mormons Provide Humanitarian Aid Around the World

The Savior taught, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). Following the admonition of the Master, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actively engage in the service of their fellowmen in many areas of the world.

The service that they render is not limited to other Latter-day Saints in need, but rather they are always ready and willing to “lift up the hands which hang down, and [to stable] the feeble knees” (Hebrews 12:12) of anyone in their hour of need. Thus, the words of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon who taught, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17) have practical application in their life.

The Church of Jesus Christ Humanitarian Programs

The primary purpose of the humanitarian work of The Church of Jesus Christ is to help those in need who are not members of the Church. In an effort to help as many people as possible, the Church has established various humanitarian projects which operate throughout the world. These programs include LDS Charities, Helping Hands, and LDS Philanthropies. The Church also maintains the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, Utah which was established in 1991 to “prepare humanitarian supplies for use worldwide and train those desiring to develop employable skills to become self-reliant.”

Mormon Humanitarian Center

The Members' Role in Humanitarian Work

The Savior taught, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). We show our love for one another when we are willing to follow the admonition of the Lord to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. We are also taught that we are to visit the fatherless and the widow in their afflictions.

Members can get actively engaged in humanitarian efforts in several ways. One way that members can become involved is through service in their local community. Service in the community can include things such as cutting a neighbor’s lawn, washing a neighbor’s car, offering to run errands for an elderly person or someone who is otherwise unable to do so themselves, or babysitting for a neighbor. Service in the community might also include taking part in projects that benefit the community as a whole. Members should also seek to build community relations by being actively involved in community service projects that may be spearheaded by people of other faiths, or if they identify something that would benefit the community that has not been addressed, they should take the initiative to bring about a solution. No matter how a person chooses to serve his community, and no matter how small the service may seem, the service alone will say myriads about that person and his faith.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ, in the October 2011 General stated,

Too often we notice the needs around us, hoping that someone from far away will magically appear to meet those needs. … When we do this, we deprive our neighbor of the service we could render, and we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to serve.

Another way that a member can be involved in humanitarian efforts is by donating to the Humanitarian Aid Fund. Donations can be made through a local ward or branch of the Church by filling out a Tithing and Other Offerings slip and indicating the amount on the “Humanitarian Aid” line, mailing a check, or donating online through the Humanitarian Services Giving section of the LDS Philanthropies website. Donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund allow the Church to help people throughout the world by providing relief and ultimately helping them to become self-reliant.

There are also many members who become actively engaged in community service or helping with relief efforts during natural disasters and catastrophes by volunteering to be a part of the Mormon Helping Hands. The Mormon Helping Hands is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ, under the direction of the Priesthood, which provides community service and/or disaster relief for those in need. The service that is rendered by the Helping Hands helps to establish the name and reputation of the Church by dispelling some of the misconceptions about the Church, and proving that Mormons are Christians who are willing to give of their time and service for the good of the communities in which they live.


<center> <center> Donations for LDS Church relief efforts can be made at LDS Emergency Response.
Official LDS Humanitarian Services website
More Ways to Help