Humanitarian Efforts Help Thousands
A nurse in Indonesia stands next to a new mother. Nurses in this birthing center completed a Helping Babies Breathe course run by LDS Charities..
A young man in Ghana smiles after being fitted with a wheelchair with help from an LDS Charities technician.
The humanitarian arm of the Church, LDS Charities, participated in 2,885 projects in 141 countries last year, working with 1,900 humanitarian partner organizations. Since 1985, LDS Charities has provided more than $2.2 billion in assistance—including cash, commodities, and in-kind donations in 197 countries and territories, according to the LDS Charities 2018 annual report released on February 19, 2019.
Church humanitarian efforts are motivated by compassion and love for all of God’s children and stress three guiding principles: caring for those in greatest need, inspiring self-reliance, and promoting volunteerism and service. These principles, based on faith in Jesus Christ, empower individuals and families regardless of race, religion, or nationality.
The Church helps with emergency response (including volunteer efforts), services for the visually impaired, maternal and newborn care, clean water and sanitation, immunizations, making wheelchairs and walking aids available, helping people to provide food for themselves using local solutions and resources, and immediate and long-term help for refugees. The Church also participates in local community projects in 43 states and provinces in the United States and Canada to help with homelessness, refugee resettlement, and other needs.
“We feel great gratitude and kinship with every single person who contributed to the success of the humanitarian work in 2018,” said Sister Sharon Eubank, president of LDS Charities and First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. She said the report represents the kindness of tens of thousands of people.