The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a $2.8 million relief project in partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Project HOPE, and Catholic Relief Services to assist earthquake victims in Venezuela, according to a July 23 news release at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Late on Wednesday, June 24, earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela, with deadly consequences.
In partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, the church is providing 5,000 15-day food kits to each family. Each kit includes canned goods, energy bars, cookies, baby formula, bottled water, and other non-perishable products.
“Following Jesus Christ means standing with those who are going through difficult times,” said Elder Juan F. Zorrilla, Area Seventy from Caracas, Venezuela.
The Church works with multiple organizations to help those in need.
Working with Project Hope, the world’s leading health and humanitarian organization, the church’s funds will help restore seven health facilities, provide medicine and medical supplies, provide access to psychological first aid to more than 100,000 people, and train 230 medical staff and community responders in emergency response and first aid.
With Catholic Relief Services, the Church will provide temporary shelter to 400 people, 700 household kits and 700 hygiene kits, food baskets to 1,075 households, water purification kits to 700 households, water filters to 1,075 households, and water to 12,000 people.
Church relief efforts have also supported health services by delivering medicines, IV fluids, medical and surgical supplies, and other essential supplies to five public hospitals in Venezuela’s capital.
Efforts with local hospitals have been led by Elder Pedro Hernández, an Area Seventy and physician from Punto Fijo, Venezuela.
Church leaders and volunteers prepare and distribute food and drinks daily.
Since the earthquake, the church has partnered with nonprofit organizations and governments to provide food and other necessities to affected communities.
