It is a common event that Religious organizations provide charitable works and outreach initiatives. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Latter-day Saint Charities donated around $1.02 billion to charity in 2022, according to their most recent annual report.
This marks the first time the church's charitable spending has exceeded $1 billion in a single year. The report states the church's efforts to provide humanitarian aid across 3,692 projects in 190 countries.
The First Presidency of the church expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to serve and help those in need. It stated that this is a sacred responsibility they consider a joyful privilege.
A Big Contribution to the Humanitarian Services by the LDS
According to a report shared in Yahoo! News, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has broadened its humanitarian support efforts in terms of both the number of projects and the countries it conducts them.
In 2021, the church participated in 3,909 projects in 188 countries, up from 3,600 projects in 160 countries in 2020 and 3,221 projects in 142 countries in 2019. The church's humanitarian aid efforts included a $32 million donation to the World Food Programme, the largest one-time donation in church history, to provide food and critical support to 1.6 million people in nine countries. Additionally, the church donated $5 million to UNICEF's "No Time To Waste" global malnutrition campaign.
The $1 billion in charitable expenditures was broken down into six major areas in the yearly report: church operations, fast-offering aid, clothing donations, food bank and other agency donations, humanitarian programs, and bishops' requests for products. According to Deseret News, it also emphasised the church's involvement in a number of initiatives, including clean water, mobility, vision care, and maternal care.
More than 6.3 million hours of service were provided by church volunteers, and JustServe organized more than 130,511 volunteer projects, such as 16,285 brand-new ones. According to the report, church farms and food processing facilities generated enough food to serve 14.3 million people for a day. In 2022, the church gave away 57.3 million pounds of food.
Also Read: Tips for Christians Planning to Donate to Charities
Worldwide Efforts Especially Affected by the War and Other Large Crisis
Additionally, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, the church spent $17 million on aid for refugees during the war in Ukraine. In Canada and the United States, missionaries and volunteers worked to coordinate relief efforts after floods and contributed $32 million to the United Nations World Food Program for child nutrition.
The church also provided clean water to over 646,000 people in Africa and the Middle East and assisted in creating preparation classes for Syrian refugees to enroll in Lebanese public schools. Additionally, the church donated nearly 50 million pounds of food to church members and distributed almost 60 million pounds through other humanitarian organizations. The church has made an effort to highlight its humanitarian efforts in recent years.
Related Article: Latter Day Saints Serve and Donate to Countries in Need
