Lds Church Releases Statement In Uk Re: Refugee Issue

[smac97]

Here: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.uk/article/mormons-stepping-up-aid-to-refugees

LONDON — Mormons in Europe, supported by church headquarters in the United States, are stepping up their aid to refugees fleeing to Europe.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – the official name for the “Mormons” – has been providing aid to refugees in the Middle East for more than a decade, providing hundreds of thousands of blankets, clothes, emergency medical supplies, food, and other resources to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Syria.

Elder Patrick Kearon, who along with his two counselors, oversees half a million members of the Church in Europe, said in response to the crisis in Europe the Church has made an additional commitment of €4.6 million (US $5 million) to immediately help displaced families, with more to come.

"We continue to be moved, like so many others, by the stories and images of those struggling for basic necessities of food, water, and temporary shelter,” he said. “They have lost so much."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will direct some of the funds to established non-governmental Agencies (NGOs) including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNICEF, Catholic Charities, International Medical Corps, and Physicians for Human Rights. Other funds will be channeled through local municipalities and national government agencies involved in assisting refugees.

“The Church has helped, and will continue to help those who remain displaced and homeless in conflict zones or in neighboring countries where they have fled,” said Sharon Eubank, the director of the Church’s Humanitarian Services.

Since 1985, the Church has provided relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes without regard to the nationality or religion of the recipients.Together with so many others across Europe, individual Mormon congregations are also responding to the invitation to assist in the refugee crisis, Elder Kearon said.

In Scotland, more than 2,000 people have joined forces to send clothing, blankets, and other needed supplies to those fleeing across borders. Coordinated by the Dumfries and Galloway Refugee Action charity group, Latter-day Saints joined with others by dropping off much needed supplies to a local Mormon church, one of 30 local collection sites.

In Germany, several Munich congregations joined together to assist a local refugee shelter by constructing an interior wall, sorting donated clothing, and by providing 170 packages of hygiene products, cereal bars, drawing utensils and cuddly toys. The Darmstadt congregation is cooperating with several local charities throughout the year to help facilitate donations of clothing, furniture and other goods to refugees.

In Huddersfield, England, Church members are part of a major community-wide effort to gather clothing, sort, stack and pack it for shipment.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Ginger Snaps]

Thanks for sharing!  I've been looking for an article like this.  There was one floating around Facebook a few weeks ago, but it was from 2013 (I don't think the people who reposted it realized). 

[Damien the Leper]

We need more threads like this one. Thank you, Smac.

[omni]

This is great to see. There's a lot of need out there.

[Teancum]

Here: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.uk/article/mormons-stepping-up-aid-to-refugees

LONDON — Mormons in Europe, supported by church headquarters in the United States, are stepping up their aid to refugees fleeing to Europe.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – the official name for the “Mormons” – has been providing aid to refugees in the Middle East for more than a decade, providing hundreds of thousands of blankets, clothes, emergency medical supplies, food, and other resources to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Syria.

Elder Patrick Kearon, who along with his two counselors, oversees half a million members of the Church in Europe, said in response to the crisis in Europe the Church has made an additional commitment of €4.6 million (US $5 million) to immediately help displaced families, with more to come.

"We continue to be moved, like so many others, by the stories and images of those struggling for basic necessities of food, water, and temporary shelter,” he said. “They have lost so much."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will direct some of the funds to established non-governmental Agencies (NGOs) including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNICEF, Catholic Charities, International Medical Corps, and Physicians for Human Rights. Other funds will be channeled through local municipalities and national government agencies involved in assisting refugees.

“The Church has helped, and will continue to help those who remain displaced and homeless in conflict zones or in neighboring countries where they have fled,” said Sharon Eubank, the director of the Church’s Humanitarian Services.

Since 1985, the Church has provided relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes without regard to the nationality or religion of the recipients.Together with so many others across Europe, individual Mormon congregations are also responding to the invitation to assist in the refugee crisis, Elder Kearon said.

In Scotland, more than 2,000 people have joined forces to send clothing, blankets, and other needed supplies to those fleeing across borders. Coordinated by the Dumfries and Galloway Refugee Action charity group, Latter-day Saints joined with others by dropping off much needed supplies to a local Mormon church, one of 30 local collection sites.

In Germany, several Munich congregations joined together to assist a local refugee shelter by constructing an interior wall, sorting donated clothing, and by providing 170 packages of hygiene products, cereal bars, drawing utensils and cuddly toys. The Darmstadt congregation is cooperating with several local charities throughout the year to help facilitate donations of clothing, furniture and other goods to refugees.

In Huddersfield, England, Church members are part of a major community-wide effort to gather clothing, sort, stack and pack it for shipment.

Thanks,

-Smac

 

 

STANDING OVATION!!!  

Edited October 2, 2015 by Teancum

[canard78]

Brilliant! The church is donating a whole €0.33 per member. Their generosity is truly

amazing! (/sarcasm)

[Teancum]

Brilliant! The church is donating a whole €0.33 per member. Their generosity is truly

amazing! (/sarcasm)

 

 

Well I am still pleased they are getting involved.

[Buckeye]

Good news. Hope it continues.

[Calm]

Brilliant! The church is donating a whole €0.33 per member. Their generosity is truly

amazing! (/sarcasm)

"with more to come"

 

Iirc, in her talk...think it was the question and answer section, Sharon Eubank said that the main problem in humanitarian work for the Church was not getting the money, but getting it to the right people.  I would assume the Church will want to see how the $5 million is used first and where it is used most effectively and then give more based on that evaluation and where aid is lacking from other agencies.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Calm

[ksfisher]

Brilliant! The church is donating a whole €0.33 per member. Their generosity is truly

amazing! (/sarcasm)

So perhaps some donations to the humanitarian aid fund may be in order.

[The Nehor]

Brilliant! The church is donating a whole €0.33 per member. Their generosity is truly

amazing! (/sarcasm)

 

[strappinglad]

John Oliver had a few nice things to say about a number of countries and their response to the refugees. I won't link to it as the language can be colorful.

[Kenngo1969]

Perhaps this has already been asked and answered somewhere, but I admit, I am both genuinely curious and genuinely ignorant, if anyone can enlighten me: Do the Humanitarian Aid and similar figures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints include in-kind donations, time volunteered, and other resources?  If so, how does that factor into the calculation?  If not, are those who criticize the Church of Jesus Christ doing so with all information necessary to make an informed judgment on the matter?

[Russell C McGregor]

Brilliant! The church is donating a whole €0.33 per member. Their generosity is truly

amazing! (/sarcasm)

 

And so, how much more are you doing?

 

After all, you'd never be one to lean back in your chair and criticise someone who's doing something, while doing nothing yourself, would you?

[VideoGameJunkie]

I wouldn't mind having most of my tithing go towards helping humanitarian aid and refugees instead of another chandelier in a temple. Or the church can use some money from the billion dollar shopping mall revenue. I'm sure the church could find a way to gather up money. I donate a lot whenever I can to the humanitarian section on the tithing slip.

Edited October 2, 2015 by VideoGameJunkie

[Russell C McGregor]

I wouldn't mind having most of my tithing go towards helping humanitarian aid and refugees instead of another chandelier in a temple. Or the church can use some money from the billion dollar shopping mall revenue. I'm sure the church could find a way to gather up money. I donate a lot whenever I can to the humanitarian section on the tithing slip.

Yes, and there will always be those who think spending money on fighting fires right here and now is a better use of funds than training fire-fighters and getting better equipment.

Or that municipalities should never devote any resources to anything at all but fighting fires.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Russell C McGregor

[VideoGameJunkie]

Hey the church found the money to buy a city in Florida, I'm sure they can get enough money to make a big contribution if they really wanted to.

[Russell C McGregor]

Hey the church found the money to buy a city in Florida, I'm sure they can get enough money to make a big contribution if they really wanted to.

And then what would happen tomorrow, when there wasn't another "big contribution" just like the first one?

[Kenngo1969]

I wouldn't mind having most of my tithing go towards helping humanitarian aid and refugees instead of another chandelier in a temple. Or the church can use some money from the billion dollar shopping mall revenue. I'm sure the church could find a way to gather up money. I donate a lot whenever I can to the humanitarian section on the tithing slip.

Apples and Buicks.  Not sure where you live, but it seems the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot win: Don't do something to revitalize Salt Lake City's downtown core, and it'll be criticized for that.  Do something (whatever it is) and it'll be criticized for that, too.  There are plenty of slums in the world to which you can move if you're so inclined, but, with all due respect, don't insist that Salt Lake City residents in the vicinity of City Creek live in one simply to assuage your conscience.  Besides, what part of "no tithing funds" do you not understand?

[canard78]

So perhaps some donations to the humanitarian aid fund may be in order.

A couple of years ago I was living in China and an LDS Humanitarian aid senior missionary was very excited to tell me that around 1/4 of the humanitarian aid fund was going towards funding church branded wheel chairs to elderly. The second richest nation in the world was more than happy to take the mormon church's donation. A donation it didn't really need. The missionary I spoke with seemed pleased that the humanitarian aid fund was being used as a PR activity for the Chinese government and local authorities. I wondered to myself whether this was really the intended use of the funds people had in mind when making the additional offering beyond just their tithing. I know it's not what sister taught before.

[Kenngo1969]

Hey the church found the money to buy a city in Florida, I'm sure they can get enough money to make a big contribution if they really wanted to.

News flash: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints didn't "buy" anything!!!  It already owns the land to which you're referring!  If you're going to criticize, that's one thing, but at least bother to get your facts straight first!

[Russell C McGregor]

Hey the church found the money to buy a city in Florida, I'm sure they can get enough money to make a big contribution if they really wanted to.

BTW, you really must learn to read. Getting some farmland rezoned for residential development isn't buying a city.

[halconero]

Bravo!

 

What I enjoyed the most was the practical and ward-level involvement of members. Too often we use our donations as an excuse not to give our time, strengths, and talents to alleviate suffering. At least that's the excuse I've heard in my wards.

[VideoGameJunkie]

Well the members need to do better in giving then since we're supposed to consecrate everything to the Church. We aren't obeying the Law of Consecration. If we did, the church would have tons of assets.

[halconero]

That's not what the law of consecration demands. To consecrate is to make something both sacred and available. The church doesn't currently demand all the possessions of its members, and even when rendering a stewardship to somebody in the days of the United Order it wasn't understood as an abolishment of private property or entrepreneurship.