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Colombian Red Cross acknowledges partnership with Church in 5-year humanitarian-aid project

Sister Renlund, Sister Zeballos represent the Church at recognition event — and help distribute aid to several dozen families in need

CÚCUTA, Colombia — At the same time their husbands were conducting leadership conferences for west-central Venezuela from the Cúcuta Colombia Stake center, Sister Ruth Renlund and Sister Carmen Zeballos fulfilled an assignment given them by the presidency of the South America Northwest Area.

Sister Renlund and Sister Zeballos represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across town in Cúcuta in accepting recognition from the Colombian Red Cross for a five-year humanitarian-aid partnership providing support to Venezuelan refugees.

Sister Ruth Renlund, second from left, and Sister Carmen Zeballos, left, accept a gift of appreciation on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — for its five-year partnership with the Colombian Red Cross in helping provide humanitarian aid to Venezuelan refugees and others in need — on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Santander North sectional offices of the Colombian Red Cross in Cúcuta, Colombia. They are joined by Red Cross sectional president Gladys Navarro Uribe, second from right, and Juan Carlos Torres Daza, sectional executive director, right. | Scott Taylor

Joining area and local welfare leaders at the Santander North sectional headquarters of the Colombian Red Cross on Saturday, Dec. 10, Sister Renlund and Sister Zeballos accepted a gift of appreciation from Gladys Navarro Uribe, the sectional president, and Juan Carlos Torres Daza, executive director.

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Sister Ruth Renlund, right, and Sister Carmen Zeballos, second from right, give provide humanitarian aid items to a Venezuelan refugee on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Santander North offices of the Colombian Red Cross in Cúcuta, Colombia. | Scott Taylor

Sister Renlund is the wife of Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Sister Zeballos the wife of Elder Jorge F. Zeballos, a General Authority Seventy and president of the South America Northwest Area.

Navarro and Torres were effusive in their praise of the five-year partnership and thorough in their review of efforts in aiding the humanitarian crisis along the Colombia-Venezuela borders.

Sister Ruth Renlund, center, and Sister Carmen Zeballos, right, give a blanket and a box of other humanitarian aid items to a Venezuelan refugee on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Santander North offices of the Colombian Red Cross in Cúcuta, Colombia. | Scott Taylor

As part of the event, Sister Renlund and Sister Zeballos spent time personally distributing boxes of food, hygiene kits, blankets and other aid to several dozen refugees gathered at the Red Cross offices.

Since 2017, the Church has partnered with the Colombian Red Cross to provide support to Venezuelan refugees.

Sister Ruth Renlund, center, speaks to a group of several dozen Venezuelan refugees before distributing humanitarian aid items on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Santander North offices of the Colombian Red Cross in Cúcuta, Colombia. Sister Carmen Zeballos is second from the right, joined by Red Cross sectional president Gladys Navarro Uribe, right, and Juan Carlos Torres Daza, sectional executive director, left. | Scott Taylor

But it’s more than just the migrants in need — aid has also been given to those affected by natural disasters or conflicts common along the Venezuela-Colombia frontier area and to those who are economically vulnerable.

In the project shared by the Church and the Colombian Red Cross, nearly 50,000 items of relief have been distributed to more than 155,000 beneficiaries, totaling nearly $220,000. The aid includes 65 tons of food in some 23,500 food kits, nearly 8,000 hygiene kits, more than 7,000 blankets, 3,000-plus pairs of shoes and more.

Sister Ruth Renlund, right, and Sister Carmen Zeballos, second from right, give provide humanitarian aid items to a Venezuelan refugee on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Santander North offices of the Colombian Red Cross in Cúcuta, Colombia. | Scott Taylor
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