As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sought to help people in need throughout Mexico in 2023, those efforts reached 1 million people.
“As followers of Jesus Christ, we make a commitment to serve others. We believe that all of God’s children should have access to the services and resources that allow them the basic needs of life, and we are committed to helping,” said Lilian Guzmán, manager of Welfare and Self-Reliance of the Church of Jesus Christ in Mexico.
She presented the 2023 annual report at the multistake center on Temple Square in Mexico City on Jan. 25, 2024. Representatives of more than 40 foundations as well as private and public assistance organizations attended, reported a news release from ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The report summarized efforts by the Church and its work with foundations and nonprofit organizations.
The aid included:
- Donations of food and water to more than 800,000 people.
- Educational study aids to more than 100,000 students.
- Health care for more than 200,000 people.
- Aid after floods and hurricanes.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to serve others,” Guzmán said. “We believe that humanitarian aid is an expression of our love for Jesus Christ and our neighbors.”
Elder Ranulfo Cervantes, an Area Seventy in Mexico, said: “The true purpose of the Church welfare plan also includes promoting self-sufficiency as a way of life,” explaining that self-sufficiency “encompasses various facets of a balanced life, including academic training, health, employment, food production and storage at home, the family economy, and spiritual strength.”
Leaders of organizations and foundations spoke about benefiting from the Church’s generosity and passion for helping others. They called the Church a great ally in the work to help those in need in Mexico.
Recent humanitarian aid in Mexico
In November 2023, the Church held a cleanup day around Acapulco to clear all the damage from Hurricane Otis. Then in December 2023, the Church donated 10,000 boxes of food to help those affected by the storm.
Also in December 2023, the Church worked with leaders in Ciudad Juárez to improve conditions at a temporary shelter for migrants and displaced people.
The donation to the Kiki Romero Shelter includes kitchen equipment, library furniture, educational material, sheets and blankets, and exercise equipment.
The project will directly benefit 5,000 migrants and displaced people who pass through Ciudad Juárez each year, explained the Church’s Mexico Newsroom.
On Feb. 7, the Church donated a state-of-the-art surgical microscope to the Dr. Jesús Gilberto Gómez Maza General Hospital, located in Chiapas.
Elder Adrián Ochoa, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Mexico Area presidency, shared how the Church was pleased to be a part of the effort to serve others.
“We hope that the donation of this technological equipment, which will allow advanced ophthalmological care to be provided to those who need it most, serves as an example and a reminder of the love that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has for the people of Chiapas,” Elder Ochoa said.
In January, the Church collaborated with the Bertha O. de Osete Foundation to donate 311 wheelchairs and walking aids to help people — mostly children — in Oaxaca and Chiapas. The wheelchairs were delivered on Jan. 18 and Jan. 24 in each location.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez México Mactumatzá Stake President José de Guadalupe Moreno said the project was a clear example of how the Church promotes self-sufficiency and dignity.
Light the World Giving Machines sponsored by the Church were set up in Mexico City, Puebla, Tula, Pachuca and Cuernavaca during the 2023 holiday season.
More than 2,400 donations were received through the Giving Machines, reported Mexico Newsroom, blessing people’s lives around Mexico.
