Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the world have worked in recent months to facilitate donations of equipment and educational support for children and adults with disabilities.
In El Salvador, the Church worked with the Teletón Pro-Rehabilitation Association to donate 228 wheelchairs and 340 mobility devices to individuals on Tuesday, July 14, in San Salvador.
The donation included 26 standard adult wheelchairs, 34 active pediatric wheelchairs, 38 active adult wheelchairs, 110 pediatric support wheelchairs, 20 all-terrain wheelchairs and 340 mobility devices, including walkers, canes and other support equipment.
President Germán Antonio Alvarado Hernández, president of the San Salvador El Salvador Los Heroes stake, said this was part of the Church’s mission “to help all people just as Christ would.”
“When Jesus Christ was on this earth organizing His disciples, He gave them authority to heal and help the sick,” President Hernández said. “Today we seek to follow His example by joining together in this work of love and service.”
Mónica Samayoa, executive director of the Teletón Pro-Rehabilitation Association, said in a press release from the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom website that the mission of their organization is in line with what the Church does to help others.
“As a foundation, we are deeply grateful for this important donation, which will allow us to continue supporting many children, young people and adults with disabilities,” she said. “We appreciate the Church’s commitment and constant effort in accompanying us in this mission.”
Santa Fe, Argentina
The Church donated 1,500 wheelchairs and orthopedic devices to CILSA, a nonprofit group, in Santa Fe, Argentina, in June.
Dozens of volunteers helped unload the donated wheelchairs from five containers. Latter-day Saints from surrounding areas joined other volunteers from the Santa Fe branch of the Argentine Red Cross, cadets from the 121st Amphibious Engineer Battalion of Santo Tomé and CILSA personnel.
According to a press release on the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom website, “the donation is part of a cooperative alliance that the Church and CILSA have maintained for more than 20 years, working together to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and promote a more inclusive society.”
Surabaya, Indonesia
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have helped people with disabilities in Indonesia with several recent donations.
Members of the Church distributed 500 food packages and hygiene kits to students from 65 special-needs schools in Surabaya and Sidoarjo on Thursday, June 25.
Mickey Lui, director of temporal affairs for the Church’s Asia Area, said the activity represents the Church’s concern for meeting the needs of the community.
“We see the needs in the community, particularly in schools for children with disabilities,” he said. “We want to take part in serving them so that they can feel the love and care of the Church.”
Members of the Church have also worked in recent months to improve facilities at the Surabaya Foundation for the Development of Disabled Children. This included renovating the playground, replacing damaged doors and windows, updating bathroom accessibility and providing therapy equipment to support rehabilitation services.
A press release on the Church’s Indonesia Newsroom website reports that through these projects, members strived to support safer, more comfortable and more accessible learning environments for students with disabilities and their families.
Elder David L. Buckner, General Authority Seventy and member of the Church’s Asia Area presidency, attended the project’s grand opening on Saturday, July 4.
“The Church is committed to ensuring that every project truly provides tangible benefits for those we serve,” he said. “I hope that everyone can see that the Church is carrying out the work of the Lord through real actions to serve others and bring change to the lives of many people.”
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Thanks to a donation from the Church, an orthopedic workshop in Porto Alegre, Brazil, can now produce custom prosthetics and other customized devices for people with reduced mobility.
The Church’s donation to the Association for Assistance to Children with Disabilities Orthopedic Workshop on Monday, July 20, brought more modern equipment to the organization, with a 3D scanner, 3D printer, a machining center and high-performance computers.
The donation could benefit approximately 3,600 people per year, according to a news release from the Church’s Brazil area.
President Luís Carlos Nepomuceno, president of the Porto Alegre Brazil Partenon Stake, said the donation will impact thousands of families in the future.
“We are very pleased to support humanitarian projects that promote independence and strengthen social inclusion,” he said.
Cleo Danilo Jacques, director of units at the Association for Assistance to Children with Disabilities, said the new equipment is a significant advancement.
“The combination of technology, professional training and humanized care expands our ability to offer increasingly individualized solutions that promote greater autonomy, mobility and quality of life for patients,” Jacques said.
