Humanitarian Aid Delivered Through Local Church
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On Thursday, November 18, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received a shipment of food from Latter-Day Saint Charities delivered by Deseret Transportation. Wilma Melville, who is a member of the Mormon Church in Chinook, put together a crew to receive and unload the truck with its half a load of food. Distribution will take place on Saturday, November 27 at the Commercial Building on the Blaine County Fairgrounds.
According to Melville, Fort Benton applied for a delivery, and the Chinook community received the other half of the load. The shipment, which included such staples as pancake and waffle mix and white flour, will be distributed to anyone requesting the food.
Melville went on to explain that the delivery is actually a donation to Blaine County's food pantry clients as well as to the community at large. According to Melville, because of the quantity of food donated, the food pantry would have been
unable to utilize all of it.
"I was aware of food donations through the LDS Charities but never considered applying for our area. However, a group in Fort Benton requested a donation for holiday distribution and we piggybacked on them. Because of the cost of transportation, the distribution center will not send just a half loaded semi, so we agreed to receive the other half so the shipment could come to us here in Montana," Melville explained.
Latter-day Saint (LDS) Charities is the nonprofit humanitarian arm of the Church. Largely run with volunteer labor, LDS Charities operate both independently and in cooperation with other charitable organizations and governments. According to their website, their purpose is "to relieve suffering, foster self-reliance and provide opportunities for service for people around the world, regardless of religious affiliation, nationality, or race." Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS Charities "follow the admonition of Jesus Christ to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and afflicted. . . . Aid is based on the core principles of personal responsibility, community support, self-reliance, and sustainability."
Deseret Transportation is a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a partner carrier for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The driver who made the delivery to Montana is Rob Murphy.
When a disaster strikes or a desperate need arises, LDS Charities work with local Church leaders and trusted partners to determine what supplies are needed. Materials are then purchased or assembled locally or shipped from LDS storehouses, called Bishops' Storehouses. After urgent needs are met, the Church looks for additional ways to aid in long-term efforts. To perform in this humanitarian relief, the Church utilizes a global network of volunteers who generously contribute their time and expertise. Volunteers often live in the communities in which they serve.
Locally, those volunteers included Melville, Perry Alcorn, Merlin Johnson, Jack Mattingly, Clinton Brown, Ernie Johnson, and John, Betty and Adam Tilleman. Melville referred to her crew as the helpers for 'the great unloading.'
"We were just trying to quickly get the load from the Deseret semi to ours. So we didn't need much of a crew. I'm hoping to get some other volunteers to help with the distribution," she reported.
