Cindy McCain, executive director of the United Nations World Food Program, traveled to Salt Lake City on Friday, January 30, to see the humanitarian efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church and the World Food Program have been participating in efforts to feed those in need since 2014.
“We deeply value our longstanding partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” McCain said.
She said the World Food Program and the Church have worked together for 12 years to support millions of people facing hunger and hardship in 49 countries.
“The Church’s generosity has not only saved lives, but also helped families build the skills, resources and resilience they need to find new hope and opportunity,” McCain said.
She also thanked church leaders for their continued support, according to a ChurchofJesusChrist.org news release.
“We look forward to continuing this important work in parallel, bringing hope, opportunity and nourishment to communities around the world. Together, we will continue our shared mission to save lives and transform lives.”
McCain, along with World Food Program President and CEO Baron Seeger and World Food Program Latin America and Caribbean Regional Director Lena Savelli, toured both Welfare Plaza and the Episcopal Central Depository.
“The number of lives touched through this collaboration is truly staggering,” said Seeger.
“Six million lives. Six million people on this planet, our neighbors, are impacted by the collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the World Food Program. And we’ve done it in 49 countries.”
According to the World Food Program, 318 million people around the world face crisis levels of hunger.
After touring Welfare Plaza and the Episcopal Central Storehouse, the group had lunch with the Presiding Bishopric and the Relief Society General Presidency.
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell said, “We are grateful to work with the World Food Program in caring for God’s children and imitating God’s example of love and service.”
It added: “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to supporting the most vulnerable people around the world and strengthening both individuals and families.”
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson praised the World Food Program’s global efforts to bring relief and light to people in need.
“Across the world, hunger has a deeply personal impact on mothers, children and families,” President Johnson said. “We are inspired by the World Food Programme’s dedication to strengthening families and communities, and we are grateful to collaborate in this effort to bring compassion, dignity and hope.”
Blaine Maxfield, managing director of the church’s welfare and self-reliance services, said the collaboration is effective because it has a “common focus on both immediate relief and lasting self-reliance.”
“Whether it’s emergency food assistance or school meals that help children learn and grow, our work at the World Food Program is about helping people move forward with confidence and opportunity,” Maxfield said.
We have worked together for 12 years.
Elder Gerald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with McCain in Rome, Italy in April 2025 while he was presiding bishop of the church.
The visit included a tour of the World Food Program headquarters and a briefing on the current emergency situation, including hearing directly from World Food Program country representatives in Chad, Ukraine and Sudan. The purpose of this briefing was to better understand the challenges faced in these parts of the world and the impact of the work being done.
The Church celebrated 10 years of cooperation with both the United Nations World Food Program and the U.S. World Food Program in February 2024 with service projects.
The project involved more than 150 single youth from the Salt Lake City area who worked diligently to collect and package 900 boxes of food at the Bishop’s central warehouse.
In 2024, the Church contributed $8 million in grants to the World Food Program’s Haiti Homegrown School Lunch Program. This collaboration between the church, WFP and the US World Food Program will provide critical nutrition to children in vulnerable communities.
The Church donated $32 million to the World Food Program in September 2022 to provide food and critical assistance to 1.6 million people in nine countries.
