Latter-day Saints Around the World: Country Newsroom Websites, February 18, 2021  

Newsroom features stories from its dozens of websites around the world to show what members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are doing to serve their communities. Today we feature news from the Pacific, Brazil, Peru, Canada and the United States. 

Helping Hands Provide Relief after Alabama Tornado 

More than 100 Latter-day Saints, dressed in yellow Helping Hands t-shirts, cleaned up fallen trees and debris caused by an F-3 tornado in Alabama on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. 

Several neighborhoods in Fultondale and Centerpointe, Alabama, suffered major damage from the tornado, which also caused at least one death. 

Latter-day Saints and full-time missionaries of the Church quickly assisted people who suffered loss or damage to their homes, during the weekend of January 30-31, 2021. 

“We went through the park and into a neighborhood adjacent the part that was particularly hit hard,” said Robert Lewis, president of the Tuscaloosa Stake (a group of congregations). “Some homes [were] damaged beyond repair.” 

Groups of volunteers partnered with the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and packed and sorted donations. 

The Church donated over 340 food boxes, along with sanitation kits and first aid kits, for delivery to the emergency centers of Centerpointe and Fultondale. Helping Hands volunteers also helped local Baptist ministers, cooking for people in need of food. 

When asked by a local news station why the Church wanted to help, President Lewis said that Latter-day Saints “Find those in need. Do what we can to lift their spirits and help them physically as much as possible.” 

School Books and Furniture to Damaged Schools in Fiji 

Full-time missionaries in Auckland, New Zealand, helped fill a large container with eight pallets of new schoolbooks and 200 desks, tables and chairs. The items will be shipped to Fiji and distributed by the Ministry of Education to schools that have been damaged by recent cyclones. 

"It was some hard mahi [work], but…we loved being able to show our Christlike love and charity by offering service for the children in Fiji,” said Elder Trae Tuhoro. 

The service initiative is called "Furniture for Schools" and is an ongoing partnership between Latter-day Saint Charities and Pacific Assist. 

Read more about the project on the Pacific Newsroom. 

Church Sends Humanitarian Aid Packages to Manaus 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with Project HOPE and donated COVID-19 relief packages to Manaus, Brazil, to help the fight against the pandemic. 

Brazil Newsroom (Portuguese) reported that the donated items included 100,000 protective masks, 20,000 medical aprons and 30 oxygen cylinders. A donation of 5,000 basic food baskets was also made. 

The items will be distributed by the local government to health facilities and people in need. 

The Church Donates Benches to the Peruvian Regional Government 

Forty-eight wooden benches were donated and delivered to the Pasco Regional Government in Central Peru on Saturday, January 30, 2021. 

The benches will be delivered to remote health clinics in Central Peru. 

Napoleón Ferruzo, deputy manager of social development, thanked the Church for donation and expressed that on several occasions the Church has provided help to people in vulnerable situations with the delivery of basic necessities. 

Read more about the donation on the Spanish Newsroom.

Street Outreach to Those Experiencing Homelessness Continues in Brisbane 

Every Friday, Latter-day Saints in the Brisbane Australia Logan Stake serve meals to the homeless in their community. 

The Logan Stake partners with Rosies-Friends on the Street, a nonprofit organization in their street outreach program. 

Over the last couple of months, Latter-day Saint volunteers regularly package donations of food, hygiene kits and socks to hand out to people in need. 

“We look forward to the new opportunities to give service in the coming months,” says Helen Foster, Relief Society president in Brisbane, Australia. 

Click here to read more on the Pacific Newsroom. 

Global Pandemic Inspires Young Women to Celebrate 150 Years Through Service 

Young women from the Calgary Alberta Stake in Canada assembled nearly 200 birthday bags for the Calgary Food Bank’s Birthday Party Kit Initiative. 

As the Church celebrated the 150-year anniversary of its Young Women program, young women around the world were invited to set a goal related to the number 150. 

Young Women in Calgary decided to put together nearly 200 gift bags filled with items such as cake mixes, party supplies and a toy. The Calgary Food Bank then provides the birthday party kits to children in need. 

“Research has shown that children can miss holidays like Christmas or Easter, but not being able to celebrate their birthday has longer-term ramifications for children,” said Calgary Food Bank communications representative Shawna Ogsten. “This will go a long way for kids to build their resilience and to become amazing members of society.” 

Visit the Canada Newsroom to learn more about the service project.