Like the ancient church, the Mormon Church has a lay clergy.  Remember that Christ called His apostles not from the body of priests or scribes of the day, but He called them from their walks of life to serve the Church.  They were fishermen, even tax collectors.  When the early church grew to the point that it was too large for the ministrations of the Twelve, seventy men were called to assist them.  The New Testament cites many lay members who gave service unselfishly to the Church.  Members nurtured and kept track of each other.  Revelation through the Holy Ghost to the highest leaders, and personal revelation through the Holy Ghost to lay members, helped them to minister for the good of all.  This is how the Mormon Church works today.  The structure holds all over the world, so every Latter-day Saint knows how to organize for the good of his neighbor and his area.

On the most personal level, there are what is known as “home teachers” and “visiting teachers.”  Home teachers are a pair of men who hold priesthood power in the Church (as most men do).  They are assigned two or three families to watch over.  Once a month, the men visit the families, give them a spiritual message, and assess their needs.  Should an emergency occur in a family, the home teachers are their first point of contact for help.  Visiting Teachers are a pair of women affiliated with the relief society, or women’s auxiliary.  Like the home teachers do for entire families, they visit and care for the women in the ward or branch.  A ward is a congregation organized from a neighborhood area.  Branches are organized when there are not enough local Latter-day Saints to form a ward.  A branch is run by a lay member called as a Branch President.  He calls two counselors to help him.  A ward is run by a bishop and his two counselors.   A group of wards is managed as a stake by a stake president and two counselors.  All of the auxiliaries for youth, children, priesthood holders, and women also have leaders.

In an emergency, a bishop can assess the needs and welfare of the members in his ward by having the home teachers and visiting teachers check on the families they are responsible for.  When the bishop has a full report, he passes it on to his stake president.  The stake president can then assess the needs of the members in the stake and pass on the report to the area presidency.  The area presidency can then pass on the report to the central leadership of the Church.  The mission president can also mobilize the missionaries in the area after local needs have been assessed.

Church members are trained to be self-sufficient and to lay aside stores of food, water, clothing, tools, and fuel as they are able.  Thus, they are usually better prepared for emergencies than their non-member neighbors.  They assess the needs in their neighborhoods among their neighbors who are not Mormons, and report on these needs to their home teachers and visiting teachers, who can relay the report to the bishops.  Once the information is relayed to the central leadership of the Church, action can be taken, and help is given from the top down.  Because everyone knows his responsibility, aid is organized and delivered where it needs to go very quickly.

An example is the aid given after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Local Mormon leaders played a critical role in getting relief to their congregations and their neighbors.

“Immediate help was sent by the church to members and non-members and was distributed under the direction of the local priesthood and Relief Society leaders,” said Elder Francisco Viñas, the church area president based in Santo Domingo. “They not only received medical aid, food, water and other basic supplies, but they also received counsel, guidance and comfort from their local leaders.”

“After the earthquake I got all the bishops together for a meeting. I knew that we needed to organize the local priesthood leaders and work together,” said Prosner Colin, president of the Port-au-Prince Haiti Stake, one of the two stakes in Haiti.   “The nine chapels in and around Port-au-Prince were mostly undamaged — another remarkable miracle,” said Elder Wilford W. Andersen at the recently concluded 180th Annual General Conference of the Church. “During the weeks that followed the earthquake, they became shelters for over 5,000 Haitians and bases from which food, water, and medical attention were distributed. Basic needs were met, and order began to emerge out of chaos.”

“We let the members know that even if the situation is difficult…we (as leaders) need to go out and help them,” said Colin. “We taught our members about self-reliance. We let them understand that because we are alive we have to take care of ourselves. We need to continue to work to bring food for our families and for others.”

In response to the Haitian requests, “Emergency response supplies, including water, water purification supplies, food, tents and tarps were shipped by air from the United States,” explained Reese. “Other needed items were already on the ground in the Dominican Republic.”

Relief supplies were delivered to a rented Haitian warehouse, a facility made available by a local contractor who had done previous construction work for the church. The contractor also provided trucks and vans to help distribute the essential supplies. Teams of priesthood leaders assisted in the distribution of the supplies.

Getting back to work is a significant part of the recovery process now, explained Ferron Squires, director of Agricultural Production Services for the church. “An employment specialist, Noel Mackenson, organized an office in the Centrale (meetinghouse) in Port-au-Prince,” Squires said. “He works with bishops and other church leaders to get names of people seeking work opportunities and is able to pair the job applicants with positions primarily in the United Nations-sponsored “cash-for-work” program. Other support groups such as Catholic Relief Services and MercyCore hire workers at a basic wage, enabling them to earn some income to support their families.”

All medical supplies with an expiration date must have at least 13 months of
good date left when the items are donated. The following first-aid items in original packaging are needed:
· Ace bandages
· Adhesive bandages, 1″ wide
· Adhesive tape, 1″ wide
· Cotton balls, sterile and non-sterile
· Tongue depressors
· Cotton swabs, sterile and non-sterile
· Gauze pads, all sizes
· Gauze rolls, all sizes
· Paper tape, 1″ wide

Your donations will be checked for quality and compliance with standards. All items should be appropriate to send to any country. Please be sensitive to not send items with prints of religious symbols, flags or military themes.

Making cloth bags for school kits (more detailed instructions available online)
Bag
· Cut one piece heavy, durable fabric 14×36 inches or two pieces 14×18 inches
· With right sides together, sew side seams and across the bottom, ½ inch seam
· Serge or zig-zag all seams
· Serge or zig-zag around the top opening of the bag
· Turn top hem down 1 ½ “ and sew
Handles
· Cut two handles 24×3 ½ inches (1 inch webbing may be substituted )
· Fold long sides in ½” then fold in half, lengthwise and sew down both long sides
· Attach and reinforce handles 2” from side seam along hem. Repeat on opposite side.
Handles should be able to hang comfortably over a shoulder like a purse, length
about 21” long

· Sew a 3” strip of Velcro on inside of bag between handle straps

These can be dropped off at the LDS Humanitarian Center. Ship or deliver completed items to:
Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center
1665 South Bennett Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Telephone (801) 240-5954
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Completed items may also be taken to the nearest Deseret Industries store or bishops’ storehouse. Seal boxes and mark them Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center-SLC. They will then be shipped to the Latter-day Saint
Humanitarian Center.

Locations of Deseret Industries stores and bishops’ storehouses may be found by calling (801) 240-5954.

Orphanage Modules
A special module with quilts, various supplies, toys and children’s clothing is distributed to orphanages throughout the world. Instructions for most of the items listed below may be found at www.humanitarianservices.org
All items must be un-used.

· Flat twin sheets (66” x 96”, cotton or flannel fabrics)
· Soft toys, puppets, dolls, wooden toys and blocks
· Fabric activity books and file folder games (See website)
· Sidewalk chalk (up to 24 per package)
· Jump ropes – store bought
· Wall hangings
· Crayons (up to 24 per package)
· Pencil boxes/pouches
· Pic combs
Children’s clothing Guidelines:
· Sizes: Newborn 0- youth 16
· Fabrics: durable and washable
· Use simple patterns. Double-stitch crotch seams, armholes and pockets.
· Please ensure that zippers, buttons, ties and Velcro are firmly secured
· Stretch of the fabric should always go across the body, not up and down
· No prints of religious symbols, flags or military themes
· Clothing items may include:
· Pants – please include pockets
· Sweat pants
· Dresses – casual, simple play-dresses
· Shirts
· Underpants and socks – store bought
· Onesies
· Bibs
· Coats and jackets
· Baby booties
· Mittens and gloves
· Layette gown (see page 2 or website for guidelines)
· Hair items for girls (not for infants)
· Flip-flops
7
Quilts

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

A true Latter-day Saint is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this Church or in any other or in no church at all, wherever he finds them.
(Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 732)

The Saints in ancient America–in the prophet Alma’s day–did not send away any who were naked or that were hungry or that were athirst or that were sick…therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need (The Book of Mormon, Alma 1:30).

If you desire to serve the needy throughout the world, including those in your own community, you might consider the following practical opportunities:

• Pay a generous fast offering, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
• Give generously to the Church’s Humanitarian Aid Fund. All money donated to this fund goes to serve the poor and needy of the world without regard to race, religion or nationality.
• Donate usable items, including clean clothing, to Deseret Industries. Not only will this benefit the needy within your community, but surplus items are sent to the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center for future relief efforts.
• Volunteer to work at Humanitarian Service Rooms or other Church welfare facilities.
• Commodities produced at these facilities are used to provide humanitarian aid.
• Volunteer at an agency that assists people in your community.

Established community organizations offer many opportunities to serve, including providing meals to the homeless, teaching adults to read, and mentoring at-risk youth. Such service not only blesses those in need, but also fosters unity between Church members and the community.

• Contact your bishop about serving a mission. Opportunities for full-time service are listed in a bulletin sent to him each month.
• Part-time/service mission opportunities can be found online at www.lds.org

Place the following items in a heavy-duty, two-gallon sealable bag. Remove the air before sealing:

4 single thickness cloth diapers

• Approximately 25×27 inches

• Birdseye Cloth or diaper flannel, 100% cotton

• No pre-fold or disposable diapers

4 diaper safety pins

1 pair booties or baby socks

2 bars of soap 3.5-5 ounces each (Ivory or other
non-allergenic brand)

1 receiving blanket (36×36 – 45×45 inches)

1 layette gown

• No footed sleepers, buttons, zippers or strings

• Size: Newborn to 6 months, Fabric: cotton knit

• Layette gown patterns are available at the LDS Humanitarian Center, Humanitarian Service Rooms and at www.humanitarianservices.org.

Fleece
Cut a 36×36 – 45×45 inch square of medium weight fleece.  Serge, hem or blanket-stitch edges.

Flannel:
Method 1
Cut two 36×36 – 45×45 inch squares of cotton flannel.  Serge the edges with right sides facing out.  Sew large ‘X’ corner to corner or a 10 inch square in the center to keep fabric from shifting.

Method 2
· Cut two 36×36 – 45×45 inch squares of cotton flannel.  Place the squares together with right sides facing in.  Sew squares together with a ¼ inch seam around the edges, leaving a 6 inch opening.  Turn right sides out.  Baste opening and topstitch around entire blanket for durability.  Sew a large ‘X’ corner to corner or a 10 inch square in the center to keep the fabric in place.

For questions, please call the Center at 1-800-453-3860 ext. 26060.  The official Church site is lds.org/humanitarian.