From the heart of SALT LAKE CITY, a significant announcement was made on Thursday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the World Food Programme marked a decade of collaboration by revealing their joint venture to fund an emergency response hub in the Caribbean.
The church has generously donated $2 million, which, when combined with the World Food Program USA’s contribution of $2.3 million, will finance the construction of this crucial emergency response hub in Barbados. The completion of this project is anticipated by the end of this summer.
The Caribbean response center will serve as a strategic location for coordinating disaster relief efforts and storing emergency food and supplies. This pioneering project is expected to streamline disaster response in a region frequently affected by hurricanes, floods, droughts, and volcanic eruptions.
Since 2014, the church has been in partnership with the World Food Programme. Relief Society General President Camille Johnson emphasized the critical importance of this collaboration.
“The church has always prioritized the needs of children and women — the most vulnerable groups — and this collaboration enables us to reach this vulnerable population,” she said. “The World Food Programme has the manpower to deliver resources to places; and with the church’s financial support and the resources we have — not just money, but also people and talent — we have worked together beautifully for 10 years and blessed millions of people during that time.”
Lola Castro, World Food Programme’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated that a facility in the Caribbean will make a significant difference for millions of people across 22 islands by providing swift response to victims of natural disasters.
“Last year, the church and the World Food Programme managed to support 1.6 million people in nine countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, thanks to this partnership,” she said. “Together, we reach more people and we are more effective.”
The announcement was made at the Bishop’s Central Warehouse in Salt Lake City, where over 150 volunteers were busy packing more than 900 boxes of food to be distributed across the U.S. to those in need. Many of the volunteers were young adults from Utah.
Eliza Stewart, a student at the University of Utah, described her experience serving at the storehouse as an “incredible opportunity.”
“It’s been so rewarding to be hands-on and to feel like I am actually making a difference. Knowing that this food will go to people who need it and who are wondering where their next meal is coming from, I think, is a great way to help all of us look outside of ourselves and be here for a bigger purpose,” she said.
Barron Segar, CEO of World Food Program USA, expressed his humility and gratitude for being part of the initiative. “Imagine: 900 families are going to get food because of what we are doing here today.”
“At the World Food Program, we believe that we have to help people here in our backyard as well as our neighbors halfway around the world,” he said. “Food is a basic right, and today we are making sure that local communities have access to food.”
President Johnson expressed her optimism for the future, seeing all of the volunteers working together. “I see all of these young, energetic people who are looking outward,” she said. “I’m joyful when I see these kinds of things happening.”
Over the course of this 10-year partnership, the church and World Food Programme have reached 6 million people in 46 countries. Segar expressed his gratitude for the partnership with the church, describing it as the World Food Programme’s “most important partner.”
“Fewer people are hungry today because of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the World Food Programme,” he said.
Agree Good news! Collaboration between organizations is always a great way to address challenges effectively.
This is great collaboration