Self-Reliance Efforts in 2023

In 2023, 110,019 people completed a self-reliance group.

Self-Reliance Groups

The Church offers several groups that are designed to build self-reliance. Participants may learn:

• How to start a business
• How to manage finances
• How to find a job
• And more

The impact can be significant.

Building Self-Reliance

Osvaldo, for instance, lost both his hands in a terrible accident when he was a child. He wanted to become self-reliant, so he attended several of the Church’s self-reliance groups in his hometown in Paraguay. In these groups, he learned personal finance and job search skills, as well as how to be emotionally resilient. As a result, he was able to get a telemarketing job, then start his own printing and photography business.

Humanitarian Efforts

While the Church works to meet immediate needs through numerous humanitarian efforts, it is always with a goal to lift individuals toward long-term self-reliance.

• In South Dakota, for example, the Church recently donated food processing equipment to members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe to provide them with additional means to support themselves.
• The Church also collaborated with the nonprofit Upwardly Global to help educated immigrants across the United States receive credentials to continue their careers as doctors, dentists, teachers, or other roles.

Building Self-Reliance Through New Skills

After spending her teenage years battling addiction, Amy started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and working to maintain her sobriety. Because of her background, however, she struggled to obtain a job that would allow her to support her children.

That’s when she found Pawsperity, a nonprofit dog grooming school designed to help those in need to become more self-reliant. Thanks to a donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pawsperity was able to triple the number of students it helps. Amy was able to enroll in the program and learn not only pet grooming skills, but also life skills such as mindfulness, self-awareness, and communication.