Latter Day Saints Collaboration
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints are united in our collective mission to feed the hungry.
As the cost of living continues to increase, our food pantries and mobile food pantries are more essential than ever. But keeping our pantry shelves stocked is a never-ending task. This is where organizations like the Latter-day Saints step in.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns farms nationwide, producing wheat, vegetable, and fruit crops to support their efforts. These raw products become shelf-stable goods to be distributed. They send 15 - 20 semi-trucks a week to cities across the country. This June, we received 1,224 cases (32,708 pounds) of shelf stable food, 68 cases of liquid dish soap, and 48 cases of automatic dishwasher liquid from their program.
“We are happy to be able to contribute to the wonderful work Catholic Charities is doing in meeting food needs in the 28 counties they serve in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois,” said Robert Martinez, President of the Springfield Illinois Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We were fortunate enough to be able to contribute commodities, and they have the food distribution network to get them to people who need nutrition support. Together, we are able to accomplish more good than we could separately.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a mission of “Loving Our Neighbor” by striving to follow the example of Jesus Christ to feed the hungry, take in the stranger, and clothe the naked. Catholic Charities has a similar mission to “extend to all the healing and empowering presence of Jesus.” It was a simple decision for the two organizations to collaborate to help fight food insecurity by feeding those in need.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Springfield in Illinois has seven regional offices in our Diocese, offering 22 different programs. These programs have served thousands of hard-working families that struggle to afford the inflated prices of groceries, rent, and utilities. Those we serve are scared, hungry, and hurting. We rely on your prayers, support, and partnerships to serve the needs of families.
