Food Storehouses

Denver Post:


LDS's can-do spirit
From its canneries to its charities, Mormon Church helps others help selves
By Electa Draper
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Launched: 08/28/2007 01:00:00 AM MDT


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints operates a cannery in Aurora. Volunteers were busy canning peaches on Tuesday at the facility called Bishops' Storehouse. Women fill cans with halved peaches. Clockwise from left: Cindy Tibbitts,


Deseret - "the brand that money can't buy" - appears on the Mormon-made goods, from soap to beef, and serves as an emblem for a unique private welfare system that blankets the globe.
The Mormons have built a network of 751 storehouses, canneries, thrift stores, family-services providers, and employment and literacy centers to serve 13 million members worldwide.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides milk and cheese from its own dairies, beef from its own ranches, nuts from its own orchards, and bread from its own farms and bakeries.
Church trucks, part of Deseret Transportation, deliver the goods.

"Many churches have a lot of programs, but the comprehensive nature of what they're doing is unique," said Jan Shipps, an emeritus professor of religion at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
The Mormon Church's bounty and efficiency regularly spill over into global disaster relief.
Within two days of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Peru on Aug. 15, the church had dispatched a 747 cargo plane with emergency supplies from its headquarters in Salt Lake City.
When the 2004 tsunami hit Indonesia and surrounding areas, church leaders asked relief agencies what they needed most but couldn't get.
The church then found a Chinese supplier that could deliver 50,000 body bags to the region within two days.

1985 and 2006, the church donated cash of more than $201 million and goods of more than $705 million in disaster relief to 163 countries.
"The church doesn't try to make a big splash," said Lynn Southam, a member of the church's lay clergy in Aurora and a stake president. "It just quietly gets things done."
In Aurora, a Mormon welfare complex called the Bishop's Storehouse sprawls over 48,000 square feet below four towering grain silos.
The center dispenses everything

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints operates a cannery in Aurora. Volunteers were busy canning peaches on Tuesday at the facility called Bishops' Storehouse. The peaches are skinned and cut and head for the tin cans. (Post / Lyn Alweis)
from pudding to job-hunting advice to laid-off corporate executives.
The church welfare system, founded in 1937 when 35 percent of Utah workers were out of jobs, has been cited by varying administrations - from President Ronald Reagan to Clinton administration Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.
The church says three things are key to making its system hum: missionaries, donations and "an underlying principle of self-reliance."
The church requires members to tithe - paying the church 10 percent of their income.
The money is invested in commercial assets and for-profit ventures.

LDS Welfare Services is supported separately through voluntary contributions from church members, who fast the first Sunday of each month and donate at least the value of the meals.
Beyond donations, what makes the system work are volunteers.
While the world has learned to recognize the black-suited, tie-wearing 19-year-olds crisscrossing towns on bikes or worn-out shoes as the 60,000 convert-seeking foot soldiers in the Mormon missionary army, they are only the vanguard.
There are also more than 3,500 full-time missionaries working in the welfare system as an almost invisible corps. Last year, they dedicated more than 623,153 days of labor around the world.
In Aurora, technical director Richard Clark manages the food operation - which makes 50 different products - with two other

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints operates a cannery in Aurora. Volunteers were busy canning peaches on Tuesday at the facility called Bishops' Storehouse. Peter Polis, Cannery Foreman, moves a basket full of canned peaches from a pressure cooker to a cooling bath. (Post / Lyn Alweis)
paid staff.
The specialty at the Aurora cannery, which processes everything from peaches to macaroni, is tomato soup.

The church makes its peanut butter in Houston. A center in Kaysville, Utah, produces cake mixes and gelatin.
"Those who get this help are expected to work for it. It is always temporary help," Southam said. "Anyone who thinks that the church is there for a free lunch day after day would be sorely disappointed."

The Aurora complex also includes a job-training center, staffed by 34 missionaries and two paid supervisors.
They handle 1,400 job candidates, including 15 percent who aren't Mormon, for 600 to 800 employers.
"Before you can teach a man anything about Christ, he has to be able to take care of his family," said employment-services manager Keith Handy.

Another facet of the Aurora complex is a family counseling center, where volunteer licensed professionals and two full-time managers offer help with everything from addiction recovery to adoption assistance.
The word deseret, translated as honey bee, is from the Book of Mormon scripture Ether 2:3, which founding prophet Joseph Smith unearthed in 1823. It tells the story of Jesus on the American continent after his resurrection in Jerusalem.

The third pillar of LDS Welfare Services, alongside relief for needy members and humanitarian outreach, is steady support for all Mormon families.
Church members are encouraged to have a one-year supply of food stored at home - ready for anything from a blizzard to a lost job. So, church members can come to a cannery, help out and, for the price of the raw food and the container, leave with canned goods.
"My family is big on the canned chicken," said Ron Franklin, of Aurora, another stake president. "It's also a lot of fun coming here."
Barry Osborne contributed to this story.
Staff writer Electa Draper can be reached at 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com.

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

13 million
Worldwide

6 million
United States

131,241
Colorado

55,000
Front Range

NO FREE LUNCH
"Those who get this help are expected to work for it. It is always temporary help. Anyone who thinks that the church is there for a free lunch day after day would be sorely disappointed."
Lynn Southam, a member of the church's lay clergy in Aurora and a stake president

Problems with film

The Arizona Board of the National Conference of Christians an Jews said this about the "Godmakers" film in 1984:

"Because showing of The Godmakers is an Integral part of the program of the Concerned Christians group, we offer these opinions based on our viewing of the film, research and reflection. The film does not - in our opinion - fairly portray the Mormon Church, Mormon history, or Mormon belief. It makes extensive use of "half-truth," faulty generalizations, erroneous interpretations, and sensationalism. It is not reflective of the genuine spirit of the Mormon faith.

"We believe that most fair-minded people who would happen to view this film would be appalled by it, because their attitudes have been previously formed through many day-by-day experiences with Mormons which demonstrate that they are good friends, neighbors and fellow citizens. There are, unfortunately, some who lack adequate knowledge about the Mormon faith, who may unwarily be misled by this film. We recommend to all persons that they utilize every opportunity for face-to-face dialogue with their neighbors in an atmosphere of mutual respect."

Mormon Youth Statistics

Christ-Like Lives:

The 2005 National Study of Youth and Religion published by UNC-Chapel Hill found that Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) youth (ages 13 to 17) were more likely to exhibit these Christian characteristics than Evangelicals (the next most observant group):

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LDS . . . Evangelical

Attend Religious Services weekly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71% . . . . 55%

Importance of Religious Faith in shaping daily life –

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . extremely important .. 52. . . . . . . 28

Believes in life after death . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 . . . . . . 62

Believes in psychics or fortune-tellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . 5

Has taught religious education classes . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 42 . . . . . . 28

Has fasted or denied something as spiritual discipline . . . . . . .. . 68 . . . . . . 22

Sabbath Observance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 . . . . . . 40

Shared religious faith with someone not of their faith . . . . . . . . .. 72 . . . . . . 56

Family talks about God, scriptures, prayer daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 . . . . . . 19

Supportiveness of church for parent in trying to raise teen

(very supportive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . 26

Church congregation has done an excellent job in helping

Teens better understand their own sexuality and sexual morality . . . . 84 . . . . . . 35

Christ-Like Lives:

The 2005 National Study of Youth and Religion published by UNC-Chapel Hill found that Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) youth (ages 13 to 17) were more likely to exhibit these Christian characteristics than Evangelicals (the next most observant group):

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LDS . . . Evangelical

Attend Religious Services weekly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71% . . . . 55%

Importance of Religious Faith in shaping daily life –

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . extremely important .. 52. . . . . . . 28

Believes in life after death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 . . . . . . 62

Believes in psychics or fortune-tellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . 5

Has taught religious education classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 . . . . . . 28

Has fasted or denied something as spiritual discipline . . . . . . . . . . . 68 . . . . . . 22

Sabbath Observance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 . . . . . . 40

Shared religious faith with someone not of their faith . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 . . . . . . 56

Family talks about God, scriptures, prayer daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 . . . . . . 19

Supportiveness of church for parent in trying to raise teen

(very supportive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . 26

Church congregation has done an excellent job in helping

Teens better understand their own sexuality and sexual morality . . . . 84 . . . . . . 35

Mormon Youth Help Eradicate Measles in Guatemala

Mormon Youth Help Eradicate Measles in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY — Twenty thousand young adults from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are working with the Pan American Health Organization and the Guatemalan Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance to help eradicate measles and rubella.

In a ceremony officially launching the anti-measles campaign, Óscar Berger, president of Guatemala, gave the first vaccination to one of the waiting children.

Drawing attention to the free vaccinations, Mormon young adults spent several Saturdays going door-to-door providing information about measles and the benefits of being vaccinated. Additionally, a radio campaign helped spread the word. Over 60 Guatemalan radio stations carried a Church-produced jingle in Spanish, English and other languages spoken in the country.


President Óscar Berger gives the first immunization shot to a local school student.
© 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

As a result of the measles vaccination campaign, over 6.5 million Guatemalan men, women and children between the ages of 9 and 39 have been vaccinated."]It is hoped that 7.3 million total will be vaccinated before the campaign ends.

The Church has also provided financial assistance and supplies to the campaign.

The involvement of the Church in the worldwide fight against measles began in 2003. Last year the Church participated in measles vaccination campaigns in Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

This article was prepared by the LDS Newsroom at LDS.org.

BYU Students Invent Coconut Bio Fuel

BYU Students Turn Coconut Oil Into Fuel
PROVO Some BYU students have found a use for coconuts often left to rot on the ground in Tonga.

The engineering students were challenged to find a fuel source from materials found in the island nation.

The students ended up creating a process for turning coconut oil into biodiesel.

It's an idea that could have a big impact in Tonga.

Most everything in the South Pacific country runs on diesel -- which must be imported.

Coconut oil was once a major export for the country but was pushed out of favor by soybean oil. The new process could allow the Tongan people to create their own fuel using plentiful coconuts.

To make the fuel, methanol and sodium hydroxide would have to be imported, but those are much cheaper than importing diesel fuel.

http://kutv.com/local/local_story_151095835.html

LDS Water Project Benefits Malaysian Villages

SARAWAK, Malaysia — Fifteen Malaysian villages in the outlying Simunjan Junction area of Sarawak now have a reliable supply of clean water, thanks to help from Latter-day Saint Charities, a humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Using supplies provided by Latter-day Saint Charities, some 100 villagers, young and old, worked together to enlarge a dam and lay a three-inch pipeline to communities in this area, all within just a few months’ time.

“It is easy to take clean water for granted,” said George Mak, a Church spokesman based in Hong Kong who has witnessed many Mormon projects throughout Asia. “But when a dam or well or some other supply is brought to a village — adults, children — it’s an emotional thing to see."

When clean water was available in the past, it was often limited in quantity and only to be found several miles away. This would take a person away from family and work, and children away from their classes, for hours at a time.

Humanitarian projects sponsored by the Church encourage participation by locals where possible. Emphasis is placed on helping people to help themselves and to become more self-reliant.

At a ceremony to mark the completion of the project, village leader Chief Augustine expressed gratitude to all who had brought fresh water to his people: “Only heaven knows how we will be able to say thank you.” Other villagers and guests spoke at the ceremony, including a member of the Malaysian Federal Parliament, Jimmy Donald.

The ceremony was held near the dam where the pipeline starts. Normally this area is reached by climbing very rugged terrain, but the villagers had cut and dug a trail through the jungle. This included making several hand-lashed bamboo bridges across the treacherous ravines for the benefit of visitors. At the conclusion of the ceremony, officials turned on the valve, allowing water to flow into the small holding reservoir.

This article was written by the LDS Newsroom of LDS.org.