The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is donating food kits and spirulina food supplements in Mexico.
The donation includes 900 basic food kits and 1,500 spirulina food supplements that will benefit 250 families, a press release from the Church of Jesus Christ said.
The donation will go to the Muuchi Xiimbal A.C. Foundation in San Gregorio Cuautzingo, Chalco, state of Mexico. The foundation concentrates on offering a community-based solution to issues around quality of life in the area.
The families this donation will help have an average of six members per household.
“This will lead to the addition of 1,500 beneficiaries, which include newborns and children up to 10 years old, adolescent women, widows, and young single mothers who are in a situation of chronic malnutrition,” said the release.
The Church of Jesus Christ’s global efforts to feed the hungry
Combatting child malnutrition across the globe is an effort the Church of Jesus Christ has focused on, especially in recent years. There is a section of the church’s website complete with guides for families about healthy eating, healthy brain development, safe drinking water, handwashing, gardening and more.
The Church of Jesus Christ donated $44 million to support the hunger relief efforts of a group of organizations, including CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Helen Keller Intl, The Hunger Project and other organizations, as well as $32 million to the World Food Programme and $5 million to UNICEF’s No Time to Waste initiative.
“No humanitarian effort is more foundational to Christ’s Church than feeding the hungry,” said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson in a release. “We are grateful to have the means to collaborate with wonderful organizations and provide relief to children and young mothers in dire need. As we serve together, we extend the reach of Christ’s loving arms.”
The Church of Jesus Christ also has a global effort to improve the health of children under 5 years old and their mothers. The program is led by President Johnson, according to a release.
“We are committed to help alleviate malnutrition and prioritize the health and well-being of women and children,” said Blaine R. Maxfield, managing director of the church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services. “Our goal is to help God’s children reach their full potential.”
The Church of Jesus Christ launched a program in 2019 to screen children for malnutrition and offer training for parents.
“Currently, these child nutrition initiatives are underway in 12 countries in Central America, Africa and Asia: Guatemala, Honduras, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and the Philippines,” said the November 2023 release about the initiative. “Launches are planned in additional countries in the coming months.”
President Johnson spoke about these efforts at the 2024 BYU Religious Freedom Annual Review, highlighting how Latter-day Saint women have been integral in these efforts.
“More than 16,000 children have been screened for malnutrition, and additional congregations are scheduled to launch child nutrition efforts in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa and Asia in the coming months,” she said. “Indeed, drawing in no small part from the inspiration of this initiative, the Relief Society leads a church-wide humanitarian initiative to address the basic needs of women and children.”
