March 20, 2008

FOCUS ON FAITH

Volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
focuses on emergency preparedness, humanitarian projects

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

It was a busy weekend for those attending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Almaden on March 7-8. On Friday, church members sold emergency preparedness kits and Saturday conducted a humanitarian project.
“We sold 500 72-hour kits on Friday and we could have sold another 500,” said Nan Hunter, the church’s director of public relations. “We want to provide service in our community with whatever we can do to help.”

Kids helping kids. Everyone pitches in to make toys for kids in Third-World countries.

Hunter’s idea for an emergency preparedness for disaster started when she read an article on the subject in the Almaden Times last fall. To accomplish her view, she enlisted presentations from the Red Cross and the San Jose Fire Department. They explained what to do before, during and after a fire, flood, earthquake or any other catastrophe. LDS prepared kits, including a backpack supplied with 72-hour supplies of food, water, a blanket, toiletries, and other items.

“We encourage everyone in a neighborhood association, school or church to contact me and we’ll have a presentation and sell kits,” said Hunter. “We want to make it easy for everyone to be prepared for a disaster.”

On Saturday the church held its monthly humanitarian project. Hygiene, newborn and school kits, clothing, toys, blankets even leper bandages were packed for delivery to the LDS Sacramento warehouse. From there, the items are shipped to LDS in Salt Lake City and then transported by plane to wherever they may be needed—Third World countries or here at home for disasters like the fires in southern California last year or Hurricane Katrina.

“We have a project every month with all the ladies and the children,” said Kathy Winn, the LDS South San Jose ward humanitarian leader. “We might make blankets or toys or collect supplies like paper, erasers, pencils and make school kits. Sometimes non-members come to help or bring things they have made or wish to donate. The women are so nurturing and generous and it is a way to help. We encourage everyone to donate or help with the effort.”

Volunteers package handmade blankets to be stored at LDS in Salt Lake City and sent to the needy in the United States and abroad.Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

LDS stake humanitarian leader Faye Sowards oversees the eight congregations in south San Jose and her husband drives the items to the Sacramento warehouse. She remembers the men building wooden toys and painting them, the women gathering to create quilts, hospital gowns and masks and stuffing puppets. She beams when she displays the photos and thank you letters from children in an orphanage in Lima, Peru wearing handmade pink dresses or from kids in Ecuador with new school kits.

Another table has children making magazines. They cut out photos of people, places and animals from around the world and paste them in a book bound with yarn for kids to learn and dream about the rest of the planet.

“We make everything,” said Sowards. “And everything has to be new. We have one elderly lady who just makes booties. She made 85 this time. Another just knits hats and will bring 50 at a time. And we make the old-fashioned diapers. The clothing has to be all different sizes from two to 14 for the dresses—we can’t be short a size when they are sent out. I always think about who may be getting them.

“People are so generous. Rebecca’s Rags, J. M.’s Design and South Bay Design Center have donated fabric for blankets, stuffed toys, bags or clothing,” added Sowards.

The LDS Almaden ward does its humanitarian project monthly. In February, they presented 53 blankets, six tied quilts, eight crocheted hats and 62 new socks to the Children’s Shelter, Project Linus and to the Salt Lake City warehouse to be disbursed. Last year, care packages were sent to soldiers in Iraq. Children’s pajamas, underwear, socks, newborn kits, leper bandages and knitted hats were sent to Third World countries.

In September, they delivered homemade hamburger soup to serve 315 people along with eggs, bread, rice, pasta, beans and canned goods to City Team Ministries. In October, they sent Christmas gifts of clothing, toys, cars and dolls for children in Peru. On Thanksgiving, the group sent City Team Ministries 65 turkeys, 40 pies, 14 bags of canned goods, 16 boxes of stuffing and 50 pounds of potatoes.

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

Kathy Winn, LDS Almaden ward humanitarian leader; Nan Hunter, San Jose South director of public relations; and Faye Sowards, stake humanitarian leader, are excited with the donations and volunteers at the humanitarian project held this month.

Emergency Response is the part of the LDS Church’s humanitarian efforts. Funds and supplies 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 are gathered and stored in Salt Lake City before a crisis so they can be sent within hours of an emergency. Volunteers are also on call so if they are needed and can be reached and organized within a few hours.

Before Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, emergency supplies were in place at meeting houses to give to the evacuees. Two hundred truckloads of food, hygiene kits, cleaning kits, school kits, medical suplies and other relief supplies were distributed to storm victims across the southeastern United States as well as church members who volunteered 70,000 man hours.

Planes full of emergency aid were sent to Pakistan after an earthquake killed more 70,000 people and left at least three million homeless. The LDS church worked with Islamic Relief , which provided transportation for the donated suppplies such as blankets, clothing, first aid and medical supplies similar to what was packaged at the LDS Almaden church on March 8.

“This is very humanitarian work, but it blesses those who give as much as those who receive,” said Hunter. “It’s wonderful.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is located at 6625 Camden Ave. To donate or volunteer for the LDS humanitarian service efforts, contact Kathy Winn at 4KEW8@earthlink.com.