Non-typical COVID-19 Week
This week was different than a common COVID-19 week.
- Ken came to visit and helped repair sprinklers. He stayed Friday night and Saturday. Ada was unable to come, but sent flowers.
- As Ken was here, my Aunt Julie and Uncle Greg also came to visit. Greg delivered a gun to Clark.
- Dean and Michelle came to visit Dad & Mom as well as Greg and Julie. Dean came at just the right moment (a fuse blew on the pump, less than 2 minutes before he arrived). He’d experienced it before and helped us fix it). At the end of visiting, Dean also spent about 10 minutes adjusting the fuel/air mixture on the motorcycle carburetors – neither of our motorcycles were running well, until he took those few minutes… They now run great!
- Clark stopped by for a visit during the week.
- Tim & his family visited Greg, Julie, Grandpa and Grandma, while Noell and I were on a drive.
- Clint & Kim stopped in to visit for Mother’s Day
- Greg & Sherilynn’s family came and sang for Mom
- Becky, Clara, and Hyrum stopped in last and stayed until around 1am. Another fun visit
We sure enjoyed all the visiting and tried to keep a safe distance through it all.
Today, I’d like to share some neat experiences, that I'm aware of, that have happened because of the Church during this pandemic:
Today, I’d like to share some neat experiences, that I'm aware of, that have happened because of the Church during this pandemic:
FIRST: During the pandemic, the number and size of the food orders at the bishops’ storehouses were greatly increased and it was evident that members were using this to stockpile supplies. A letter was sent to stake presidents and bishops explaining this and teaching, “Often ward leaders can help meet a member’s needs by drawing upon the resources of the Lord’s storehouse—the time, talents, and means of other ward members—before turning to the bishops’ storehouse.”
The Area 70 in Chicago shared this experience:
“We had a sudden spike in need because of people being laid off.” This was enormous because many of the members worked in the restaurant business and were laid off from their hourly jobs. “The huge surge left the bishops’ storehouse suddenly without bread.”
It was 9:00 on Wednesday morning when we knew we needed 200 loaves of bread by noon for the patrons who would come in. We thought of the letter that was received about drawing upon the Lord’s storehouse. “We realized we could turn to ward members. We reached out to the Naperville stake president. “Within three hours we had over 200 loaves of bread.” Individual families ran to the grocery store, bought some loaves, gave them to the relief society president and they were all delivered.
The stake president visited the storehouse that afternoon. When he walked in and saw all the bread that was delivered, he said, “It was like manna from God.”
SECOND: Never before has the Church provided humanitarian aid for a single event in over 100 countries. Projects have provided protective gear, hygiene and safety training, and unprecedented amounts of food to those who have lost their income (or usual access to food as a result of the pandemic).
THIRD: Pandemic has caused greatest loss of jobs to Church members since the great depression. Employment services team possessed the foresight to begin online services in employment, including: job coaching, accelerated job search, and other workshops. So that when the pandemic hit, the team was able to expand their online services across the whole nation.
FORTH: Project Protect – sewed 5 million surgical masks for Utah health facilities (this doesn’t include other mask sewing projects the Church members have participated in throughout so many other parts of the nation). One volunteer wrote, “My mom, an expert seamstress, but now disabled by [a] degenerative brain disease…sewed six masks from my kit this week. She has very little use of her hands and did it with the help of my dad, who did the folding of the pleats and the pinning for her…. Those six masks symbolize as much sacrifice in the service of others as all the rest.”
FIFTH: Navajo Nation, largest Indian tribe: 255,000 people live on the reservation and surrounding communities. 40% of homes lack running water, 32% of homes lack electricity, 86% of homes lack natural gas, 38% live at or below the poverty line, 42% unemployment.
Since 2014, we’ve partnered with Dig Deep to provide clean water to over 250 families. This year over 150 additional residents will receive clean water.
We’re working with the Navajo tribal utility to extend power grid to 200 households.
For 10+ years, the church has helped with a gardening project and over 700 gardens have been established. Maintained by local residents. Providing food while building self-reliance.
Navajo Nation has been hardest hit with Covid-19. The Church Humanitarian Aid has provided:
SEVENTH: India has around 1000 leprosy colonies which serve as the home to hundreds of thousands of the country’s most vulnerable citizens. Many of these individuals rely on begging or micro businesses to receive essential life sustaining items. Covid-19 shut down their ability to provide for daily needs. With a partner, the Church provided food and soap to over 9000 families in 228 of the most vulnerable leprosy colonies throughout India.
The Area 70 in Chicago shared this experience:
“We had a sudden spike in need because of people being laid off.” This was enormous because many of the members worked in the restaurant business and were laid off from their hourly jobs. “The huge surge left the bishops’ storehouse suddenly without bread.”
It was 9:00 on Wednesday morning when we knew we needed 200 loaves of bread by noon for the patrons who would come in. We thought of the letter that was received about drawing upon the Lord’s storehouse. “We realized we could turn to ward members. We reached out to the Naperville stake president. “Within three hours we had over 200 loaves of bread.” Individual families ran to the grocery store, bought some loaves, gave them to the relief society president and they were all delivered.
The stake president visited the storehouse that afternoon. When he walked in and saw all the bread that was delivered, he said, “It was like manna from God.”
SECOND: Never before has the Church provided humanitarian aid for a single event in over 100 countries. Projects have provided protective gear, hygiene and safety training, and unprecedented amounts of food to those who have lost their income (or usual access to food as a result of the pandemic).
THIRD: Pandemic has caused greatest loss of jobs to Church members since the great depression. Employment services team possessed the foresight to begin online services in employment, including: job coaching, accelerated job search, and other workshops. So that when the pandemic hit, the team was able to expand their online services across the whole nation.
FORTH: Project Protect – sewed 5 million surgical masks for Utah health facilities (this doesn’t include other mask sewing projects the Church members have participated in throughout so many other parts of the nation). One volunteer wrote, “My mom, an expert seamstress, but now disabled by [a] degenerative brain disease…sewed six masks from my kit this week. She has very little use of her hands and did it with the help of my dad, who did the folding of the pleats and the pinning for her…. Those six masks symbolize as much sacrifice in the service of others as all the rest.”
FIFTH: Navajo Nation, largest Indian tribe: 255,000 people live on the reservation and surrounding communities. 40% of homes lack running water, 32% of homes lack electricity, 86% of homes lack natural gas, 38% live at or below the poverty line, 42% unemployment.
Since 2014, we’ve partnered with Dig Deep to provide clean water to over 250 families. This year over 150 additional residents will receive clean water.
We’re working with the Navajo tribal utility to extend power grid to 200 households.
For 10+ years, the church has helped with a gardening project and over 700 gardens have been established. Maintained by local residents. Providing food while building self-reliance.
Navajo Nation has been hardest hit with Covid-19. The Church Humanitarian Aid has provided:
- 4 semi-truckloads of food from the Bishops’ Storehouse
- 12 semi-truckloads of food from private donations
- 100+ full-time missionaries unloaded, repackaged, and delivered food boxes
- 10,300 cotton facemasks
- Purchased from certified manufactures: face shields, N95 and surgical masks
- 53 hospital beds
- Food & water
- Personal Protective Equipment & Medical supplies
- Food for children dependent on school meal programs
- Hygiene supplies & training, such as soap and how to use the soap to prevent the spread of the virus.
- Educational programs to assist healthcare providers and individuals to be better prepared for treatment and prevention of the virus
SEVENTH: India has around 1000 leprosy colonies which serve as the home to hundreds of thousands of the country’s most vulnerable citizens. Many of these individuals rely on begging or micro businesses to receive essential life sustaining items. Covid-19 shut down their ability to provide for daily needs. With a partner, the Church provided food and soap to over 9000 families in 228 of the most vulnerable leprosy colonies throughout India.
EIGTH: The church has also used technology to provide teletherapy during this time of isolation and has provided over 17,000 hours of counseling per month. Particularly supportive of missionaries who are struggling with being quarantined.
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NINTH: The church is also piloting an emotional resilience course.
MY IMPRESSIONS: During this time of great need, it’s impressive how the Church has prepared. Since it’s inception, the Church has had caring for the poor and needy as a key tenant of our belief. In the last few years, I’ve heard complaints that the Church has been keeping large stockpiles of food and emergency supplies. We always use those to help around the world. Some have complained that we’re storing too much. During this time, it’s clear that the Church has been preparing.
Even more important is to remember the comment that the largest stores of food and finances are in the homes of the members. We, as individuals (where permissible) need to wisely prepare for difficult times by storing:
MY IMPRESSIONS: During this time of great need, it’s impressive how the Church has prepared. Since it’s inception, the Church has had caring for the poor and needy as a key tenant of our belief. In the last few years, I’ve heard complaints that the Church has been keeping large stockpiles of food and emergency supplies. We always use those to help around the world. Some have complained that we’re storing too much. During this time, it’s clear that the Church has been preparing.
Even more important is to remember the comment that the largest stores of food and finances are in the homes of the members. We, as individuals (where permissible) need to wisely prepare for difficult times by storing:
- Three-Month Supply of food that is part of our normal, daily diet.
- Drinking water
- Financial reserves
- Longer-term food supplies that last a long time and can help us stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans
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