Humanitarian News & Features Index
When the saints offer helping hands
27 Sep 2008 On Saturday, September 20, 2008 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Latter-day Saints came out across Nigeria, just as their counterparts all over Africa, to render services to their communities. Full StoryWhat Can I Do?
03 Feb 2011 I’ve been pleasantly surprised by personal reader response to my “Traveling the world to learn about humility and hope” blog earlier this month. One reader, Brian Minert, echoed my feelings when he said, “They are all real people, in real places, but sometimes it hurts more when we use our memories instead of our imaginations.” Full Story Water Reaches “End of the Row” in Congolese Villages
06 Jan 2010 Dancing, shouts of joy and speeches marked the end of a significant milestone for residents recently in several villages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Water finally gushed out from an 18-mile-long pipe to the African villages of Tshiabobo, Mafumba, Kasha, Ibola and will be in Luputa City by next summer. Full Story Video: Hope in the World
19 Aug 2011 Video:LDS Charities provides hygiene training and clean water wells for hundreds of sites in impoverished Sierra Leone. Full Story Thousands grateful for Atmit in Ethiopia
24 Jun 2009 In response to the deepening drought in Ethiopia, the Church recently sent 1.4 million pounds of Atmit to help famine-stricken children, expectant mothers, and the elderly in the African nation. Full Story The Legacy of Butch Cassidy and the Winnemucca Blogger
25 Oct 2011 In his wildest dreams, Butch Cassidy would never have guessed that one of his old stomping grounds would become a hideout for, um . . . social media. Butch was pretty much antisocial, and the term social media wasn’t coined for another hundred years.In his wildest dreams, Butch Cassidy would never have guessed that one of his old stomping grounds would become a hideout for, um . . . social media. Butch was pretty much antisocial, and the term social media wasn’t coined for another hundred years. Full Story Only a Dollar
29 Nov 2011 This past June, while visiting one of our sons and his family in Watertown, N.Y., I decided to go for a morning walk. Our son recommended a route that included a steep, mile-long hill. Full Story One Stitch at a Time
11 Feb 2011 “I feel very good about my projects,” said Jane. “Doing them has made a difference in my life, and it brings me a lot of peace. Some people spend a lot of time trying to ‘find’ themselves when it could be so much better to spend that time helping others. If everyone did something, even though it might be small it would bring us all closer to Christ. I wish I could do more.” Full Story Of One Heart: Workin' at the car wash blues
20 Oct 2010 Jim Croce (1943-1973) sang about a man down on his luck when he wrote "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" in 1972. This summer, some Alabama teens worked at a car wash to help others down on their luck. The teens' focus? The more than one million Haitians still living on the street after a catastrophic earthquake in January. Full Story Of One Heart: The gift of mobility
03 Aug 2010 As we drove into Santo Domingo, I was startled to see cars coming toward us in two of our three lanes. As the cars got closer, they flowed around us — just like water. Elder Michael Francom, an LDS humanitarian missionary, said, “Don’t worry . . . traffic laws in the Dominican Republic are merely a suggestion.” Full Story Of One Heart: My Hero
18 Jul 2010 Liz Howell is one of my heroes. Nearly nine years ago on 9/11, most of us were focused on the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. But Liz was focused on the Pentagon, 228 miles away in Washington, D.C. That’s where her husband, Brady, had just landed his dream job in national security following graduate school. Tragically, Brady did not survive the attack. Full Story Of One Heart: A formula for success
15 Aug 2010 Today, thanks to humanitarian efforts, the incidence of measles worldwide has also been reduced by nearly 80 percent just in this past decade. Full Story New Harrisville Welfare Services Center Dedicated
28 Sep 2009 Bishop Richard C. Edgley, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has dedicated a new welfare services center in Harrisville, Utah. Full Story Neonatal Care
15 Feb 2012 Video: Elder Holland talks about the universal joy of motherhood and birth, and the blessings to both provided by neonatal resuscitation training. Full Story My Hero
09 Sep 2011 Video: Ten years ago on 9/11, most of us were focused on the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. But Liz Howell was focused on the Pentagon, 228 miles away in Washington, D.C. That's where her husband, Brady, had just landed his dream job in national security following graduate school. Liz tells about her tragic loss and her touching recovery. Full Story Mormon Helping Hands Assist Quebec Flood Victims
22 Jul 2011 More than 550 members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lent a helping hand in June to aid victims of the flooding along the Richelieu River in Quebec in the first ever Disaster Relief Mormon Helping Hands Project in Eastern Canada. Full Story Massive Service Day Benefits Thousands
01 May 2009 From coast to coast, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined hands with friends and neighbors to clean up and serve their communities in a far-reaching day of service. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers stocked shelves, constructed houses and helped families in transition get their feet back on the ground. Full Story Madera Miracle
23 Dec 2011 VIDEO: When Jamie Hansen arrived at the vineyard on Christmas Day, he found something totally unexpected... the fields were full of Church members from the Madera Spanish Ward pruning the vines. They had given up their Christmas to serve the Savior on His holy day. Full Story Journey into Japan: LDS missionaries don T-shirts, get to work
18 Jul 2011 When the sea overruns the earth and washes away all semblance of normal life, as Japan's tsunami did in March, everything changes — even Mormon missionaries' routines. Full Story Join Zack in His April Shack Challenge
26 Mar 2012 For the third year in a row, Zack’s back with all the energy a little boy can muster. In 2010, his lemonade stand in Provo, Utah raised enough money to buy one wheelchair to bless the life of someone in desperate need of mobility in a faraway country. Full Story Innovation Helps Relieve Hunger, Malnutrition in DR Congo
06 Dec 2011 Subsistence farmers improve their self-reliance and give back to those in need. Full Story Immunization effort huge success in western Africa
23 Jun 2009 When the Ivory Coast set out to immunize 3.2 million children under five years of age, they hoped to achieve a 50 percent success rate. They were thrilled when 95 percent were vaccinated. Similar success was found in Benin, where all 1.2 million children were vaccinated. Full Story Hygiene kit helped African refugee keep hopes alive
03 Apr 2009 “My first Sunday in that Latter-day Saint branch was a day I’ll never forget,” said Mariama, who soon joined the Church. As the war continued, the Church sent food and humanitarian kits. “Everyone was so grateful even to get a small bag of rice or beans,” said Mariama. “I received a blanket and a hygiene kit that included a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, a comb, and a washcloth.” Full Story Humanitarian Overview
09 Dec 2011 VIDEO: Emergency Response is a key component of the overall LDS Charities mission. This unique infographic video shows the annual impact of the life-saving efforts of the LDS Church. Full Story Helping Hands in Slovenia
28 May 2010 Wearing their yellow Helping Hands vests, members from Ljubljana joined with members in the Maribor and Celje branches to help to clean up Slovenia in a day of service on April 17. Full Story From Salt Lake to Samoa, Church Extends Humanitarian Help
07 Oct 2009 A chartered cargo plane loaded with relief supplies has landed in Samoa to aid victims of last week’s tsunami. Full Story Convert Plans to Return to Tanzania with Education and Experience
18 Jun 2008 Few people travel across hemispheres to gain an education so they can return home to make a difference in an emerging economy. But that’s exactly what Leonard Kalimasi is doing. Leaving Tanzania on the east coast of Africa in 2004, Leonard came to BYU-Idaho to start his college education. Full Story Church Volunteers Help Massive Medical Relief Effort
26 May 2009 The scene on the southern shore of the Dominican Republic was right out of a travel brochure: azure waters, palm tree-lined paths, and puffy cotton clouds against a bright blue sky. But this wasn’t a cruise ship, it was a U.S. Navy hospital ship—the USNS Comfort. Its 800 “passengers” are on a four-month expedition to bring badly needed medical care to seven different countries in the Caribbean, South America, and Central America. Full Story Church Update on Earthquake in New Zealand
03 Sep 2010 A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island early Saturday morning at 4:35 a.m. causing extensive damage. Full StoryChurch Teams With Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital
04 May 2009 A new partnership between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation promises an additional water source for the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center, which is located in the capital city of Kinshasa. Full Story Church Responds to Flooding in the Philippines
01 Oct 2009 Tropical storm Ketsana struck the Philippines on Saturday, 26 September 2009, triggering the heaviest rainfall in 40 years and causing significant flooding. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing food, water, clothing, hygiene items and other relief supplies, which are being purchased locally and distributed to those in the affected region. Full StoryChurch Responds to Flooding and Landslides in Colombia
06 Jan 2011 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing food, water and other relief supplies to victims of recent flooding and landslides in Colombia, and plans to distribute more aid in the coming months, including 11 containers of much needed supplies from the Church’s Humanitarian Center and Bishops’ Central Storehouse. Full Story Church Responds to Disasters in Pacific
09 Oct 2009 Recent disasters in the Philippines, Samoa, and American Samoa have left hundreds dead and thousands without the necessities of life. Initial reports indicate that 24 Church members in the Philippines and 8 members in Samoa have been killed, with many others missing. Those interested in helping financially may donate online to the Emergency Response Fund. Full Story Church Responding to Chile Earthquake
01 Mar 2010 Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile are actively assisting in relief efforts and determining how the Church can be of most assistance in the wake of one of the most powerful earthquakes of the last century. With over half a million Latter-day Saints living in the country, the Church has a substantial presence in Chile. Full StoryChurch Releases Report on 2008 Hurricane Relief
30 Dec 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today released a report of its hurricane relief efforts during the 2008 hurricane season. Since late August, the Church has sent dozens of semi-truck loads of supplies to the Gulf Coast to aid those affected by Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. Full Story Church recognized for continued service in Iowa
08 Oct 2009 Church members in Central Iowa received a Governor's Volunteer Award for their service throughout different communities of the state. In a ceremony held July 27 in Des Moines, Gov. Chester J. Culver recognized the Church as a great help in building and helping communities. Full Story Church Donates Fruit to U.S. Food Pantries
30 Dec 2008 Peaches and apricots from Utah’s 2008 abundant crop have been delivered to people in need throughout the United States. Full Story Church Assisting with Aid to Pakistan
26 Aug 2010 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is coordinating with other relief agencies to provide aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan. The Church has partnered with International Relief and Development, International Medical Corps, and Saba Aslam Welfare and Trust to locally purchase and distribute immediate relief supplies. Additional supplies from the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City will be shipped in the coming weeks in partnership with Islamic Relief USA. Donate to the Emergency Response Fund
Full Story Church Assessing Needs After Violent Weather Hits Southern United States
02 May 2011 Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the southern United States are among those affected by a series of deadly tornadoes that hit six states. At last report, the storms have killed at least 280 people and injured hundreds more. The loss of life is the worst from tornadoes in the United States in nearly 40 years. Full StoryBenefits Trickle Down From Clean Water Project
21 Aug 2008 For the children of the central African city of Luputa and nearby villages, an 18-mile-long pipe being laid near their homes means a lot more than access to clean water for their families. It also means that they will be healthier and able to attend school more regularly, according to Marie Christensen, an Idaho woman who recently returned with her husband from D.R. Congo after 18 months of volunteer humanitarian service. Full Story Ambassador of Pakistan Thanks Church Leaders for Mormon Humanitarian Aid
16 Sep 2010 His Excellency Husain Haqqani, Pakistan ambassador to the United States, made a brief stop at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints headquarters following the Church’s 10 September announcement of humanitarian aid provided to the people of Pakistan. Full Story African water project is immediate, lasting
22 Jun 2009 “In 2005, humanitarian doctors found water-caused health problems in Kersa Illala,” said Brett Bass, Director of Humanitarian Services. “They asked us for help in getting a clean water system. So we provided the materials and expertise to drill a well and provide six watering stations.” Full Story A prayer for clean water
18 Sep 2010 "We never gave up hope," said Ngandu Kabongo, the water committee manager for a sprawling village in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, known as Luputa. Full Story500 Desks Placed in Guatemala Schools
05 May 2007 In several areas of Guatemala, Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has provided funds to purchase school desks where they are needed most. Full Story
