The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced $2.8 million in relief projects with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Project HOPE and Catholic Relief Services to help earthquake victims in Venezuela, reported a July 23 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
A 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the country of Venezuela late Wednesday, June 24, and left deadly results.
Alongside the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, the Church is providing 5,000 15-day food kits for households. Canned goods, energy bars, cookies, dried milk, bottled water and other nonperishable products are included in each kit.
“Following Jesus Christ means standing beside those who are going through difficult times,” said Elder Juan F. Zorrilla, an Area Seventy from Caracas, Venezuela.
The Church is working with multiple organizations to support those in need of relief.
In efforts with Project HOPE, a leading global health and humanitarian organization, the Church’s funding will help repair seven health facilities, provide medicine and medical supplies, make psychological first aid available to more than 100,000 individuals and train 230 health staff and community responders in emergency response and first aid.
With Catholic Relief Services, the Church will provide temporary shelters for 400 people, 700 household kits and 700 hygiene kits, food baskets for 1,075 families, water purification kits for 700 families, water filters for 1,075 families, and water for 12,000 individuals.
Church relief efforts have also supported health care services through delivering medicine, intravenous solutions, medical and surgical supplies and other essential items to five public hospitals in the capital of Venezuela.
The efforts with local hospitals have been led by Elder Pedro Hernández, an Area Seventy and physician from Punto Fijo, Venezuela.
Church leaders and volunteers are preparing and distributing food and drinks daily.
In conjunction with nonprofit organizations and the government, the Church has provided food and other essential supplies to affected communities since the earthquakes.
