Church Members Donate Care Packages to South Pacific Islands

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Welfare and food donations
Via Mormon Newsroom

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand will be packing 2,000 boxes of food for people in Port Vila, Vanuatu and surrounding islands hit by cyclone Pam.

In an attempt to help the people of the Pacific nation affected by the cyclone, Latter-day Saints are contributing containers of food that can be used for different purposes like carrying water. The boxes will include a can opener and the following items:

  • flour,
  • rice,
  • canned fruit,
  • beans,
  • corned beef and fish,
  • crackers,
  • raisins,
  • noodles,
  • chocolate milk powder

“Mormon Helping Hands” volunteers from the Auckland New Zealand Mt Roskill Stake will assemble the packages and an Air New Zealand Airbus hired by the Church will deliver the supplies on Monday March 23. The purchase and delivery costs were covered by donations that Latter-day Saints and others have made around the world.

Care packages with six-person tents with supplies like axes, hammers and nails will also be delivered. These packages are being purchased by the Church to help people rebuild their homes.

The Church’s Pacific Area President, Elder Kevin W. Pearson told Mormon Newsroom that they love their brothers and sisters in Vanuatu and want to help them. He also said,

We are grateful for our Church volunteers and others from government, community and business groups with whom we are working as we support the people in Vanuatu.

Giulianna is an international student at Brigham Young University where she studies Broadcast Journalism. Originally from Uruguay, Giuli has lived in the United States for four years (time passes by so fast!) and she loves it (except for Winter). She loves working on TV but also likes writing because it is something she can do in her pajamas.