A refugee family with two children were sleeping on the floor of their apartment and needed beds.
A single mother, forced by economic hardship to move to a crime-ridden area, became depressed because she did not have furniture.
A woman and her daughter lost everything they owned, including all their clothing, in a domestic dispute.
Each was helped last year by the Church Community Partnership Program, which — through the Deseret Industries — offers assistance to non-profit agencies in seven western states.
Elder Vaughn Wilson, who is serving a mission as Community Partnership Coordinator with his wife, Sister Gwen Wilson, said these examples are just some of hundreds of success stories facilitated through a program that not only helps those struggling in local communities, but also provides opportunities for service by local Latter-day Saints.
"Getting involved with community agencies helps us understand what is happening in our communities and who needs help," said Elder Wilson. "It makes us more empathetic to what is going on around us."
The Community Partnership Program was started in 1999, with the Deseret Industries' Division of Welfare Services giving out vouchers to non-LDS, non-profit charitable agencies to help the people they serve. The vouchers are redeemed by individuals and families in need who select items at Deseret Industries stores.
The agencies typically serve the homeless, domestic violence victims, refugees, disaster victims, abused children, foster care families, churches, the aging, the disabled, the mentally handicapped, hospitals, drug rehabilitation patients, released prisoners, teen mothers, youth in crisis, low income families, families in crisis, the non-employed and under-trained, said Brother Wilson.
In recent years, the program has grown significantly. Today, there are more than 280 Community Partnerships located in seven western states. In 2007, 18,869 individuals were helped.
"Right now our family is in hard times and this gift will be used appropriately," wrote a recipient in a thank you note to the Church. "Our intentions are to get back on our feet, to work hard and to someday be the giving party in a position to help others that find themselves in the place we are now. Thank you so much for your gift of kindness."
The program works because of the number of "high quality agencies that really care about the people they are helping and are doing it in an efficient way," said Elder Wilson.
And, they say, Latter-day Saints can help.
Elder and Sister Wilson hope that Church members will utilize the program as they select family and Church service projects.
Members of the Alpine North Stake, for example, provided quilts, receiving blankets, dolls, sheets, hygiene kits, school kits and toys to 10 local non-profit agencies as part of a project completed in April.
"Our objective is to help Church members become more aware of the Community Partnership Program ... and to help them give more personal service to (charitable agencies) and others," he said.
In the Salt Lake Valley, for example, he said the Church has 70 community partners. "They are just a fraction of the agencies that exist that are out there. There are so many needs."
Agencies who partner with the Church "always say, 'We couldn't do our job without your help,"' said Sister Wilson.
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