Newsroom features stories from its dozens of websites around the world to show what members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are doing to serve their communities. Today, we feature news from Australia, Burundi, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Japan, Lithuania, Mongolia, the Philippines and Russia.
- Tondo_Fire1
- LTWB-Bujumbura-Dist-Pres-Jean-Bosco-Ndikumana-with-Centre-Nezerwa-rep-Capiloline-Nzobonimpa.jpg
- Sydney-service
- Unicef.jpeg
- DSCF3268.jpg
- JPN---Toyohashi-3.jpg
- DSC09602.JPG
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Japan: Church Donates Money, Aid Following New Year’s Day Earthquake
A few weeks after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the western side of Japan, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated 40 million yen (approximately US$270,000) to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
The donation comes as local Latter-day Saints carried out humanitarian relief efforts immediately following the earthquake. Read more about their work on the Japanese Newsroom.
Philippines: Fire-Affected Families Receive Household Items, Building Materials
Cooking pots, kitchenware, gas burners, sleeping sheets and pads, and food kits were given to nearly 100 families affected by a fire in Tondo, Manila, in December 2023. The Church of Jesus Christ’s humanitarian services also provided materials so some of those families could finish rebuilding their homes.
Read more about the donation on the Philippines Newsroom.
Russia: Medical Beds Supplied for Help-Dependent People
Seventy medical beds were sent to the Department of Social Protection of the Population of Ulan-Ude, Russia, by the centralized religious organization Religious Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia. The beds, which are available to rent, will go to serve families who care for sedentary elderly members or disabled relatives.
“We hope that the assistance provided will make life easier for many people and help them strengthen their faith in the Lord,” said Sergei Gennadievich Baldakov, a representative of the Church.
Mongolia: Equipment for Newborn, Fetal Treatment Services Donated
The National Maternal and Child Health Center donated equipment for newborn and fetal treatment services to the Deseret International Charity Organization after a request was made by the office of the City Council of Bayangol District in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The equipment is worth 101 million MNT (approximately US$30,000).
DSC09602.JPG
Workers of the National Medical Center assemble newborn and fetal treatment equipment donated by the Deseret International Charity Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 2024.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Cambodia: Donation Benefits 600 Families Amid Flooding
On December 18, 2023, the Church donated 15 tons of rice, benefiting 600 families in Cambodia, amid devastating seasonal flooding.
“The generosity of the Church is an active participation with the government, and through this involvement, becomes a blessing for people who are in need,” said Seng Somoni, secretary of state for the Ministry of Cult and Religion.
Burundi: Orphanage Center Receives Mattresses and Food
As part of the 2023 Light the World initiative, Latter-day Saints in Burundi donated mattresses, food and cleaning materials to the Nezerwa Orphanage Center in Bujumbura.
Capitoline Nzobonimpa, who represents the center, said the donations from the Church came as a blessing since some of the children were sleeping in poor conditions.
Read more about the donation on the DR Congo Newsroom.
Japan: Latter-day Saints Prepare Boxes of Food for Single-Parent Families
More than 230 boxes of food were prepared for distribution to single-parent families in Japan on December 9, 2023. The work was done by approximately 30 people, including children, of the Toyohashi Ward of the Japan Nagoya East Stake.
The project was part of ongoing support for the Higashi Mikawa Food Bank and Mother and Child Welfare Association in the local area.
Australia: Members Gather Donations for Local Organizations
Latter-day Saints in Sydney, Australia, participated in several service projects over the Christmas holiday to benefit local organizations.
Church members in Sutherland, a suburb in southern Sydney, collected thousands of food items for the local Salvation Army’s annual food drive. The women also filled more than 120 shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items and school supplies, among other things, for “Operation Christmas Child,” which is run by Samaritan’s Purse.
Costa Rica: Children Learn at Church Facilities
In Paraíso de Cartago, Costa Rica, the Church of Jesus Christ, which is headquarters of UNICEF’s INSPIRA volunteer program, provides its facilities for children to receive training in literacy and life skills.
“For us, as parents, having a place like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the development of the program has been a blessing because we have a safe place, where we know that they will be protected, with the best conditions,” said Marcela Loaiza Solano, mother of one of the girls in the community.
Unicef.jpeg
In Paraíso de Cartago, Costa Rica, the Church of Jesus Christ, which is headquarters of UNICEF’s INSPIRA volunteer program, provides its facilities for children to receive training in literacy and life skills. Photo taken December 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Lithuania: Church Hosts Christmas Lunch for Less Fortunate
On December 23, 2023, a Christmas lunch was held for the poor and lonely at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Vilnius, Lithuania.
In addition to lunch, guests got to hear about the birth of Christ from Luke 2 and a video called “Baby Jesus.” They also sang Christmas carols together with the missionaries of the Church.
Learn more about the event on the Lithuanian Newsroom.