SALT LAKE CITY – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that beginning in 2019, they will boost the amount of food donations they give to charities across the country and Canada.
“This is going to take a period of years, but with the finished product we’ll be able to supply up to 20 million pounds of additional product,” said David Frischknecht, Managing Director of LDS Church Welfare Operations.
The church will end donations of raw wheat and focus on finished goods such as pasta, pancake mix, and flour.
“The blessing now is we have enough of that to help not just those in the church, but we can reach out to the community where there are growing needs,” Frischknecht said.
With the announcement, church leaders urge members to keep up with their own food storage.
“The current guideline is for members of the church in fact to have three months of ready to use food on hand,” Frischknecht said.
Members are also encouraged to put more emphasis on foods that are easier to share with those in need.
“And then from there build up a store of raw products that could be used in longer term," Frischknecht explained. "What we’re doing now is taking that same approach and making more available on a ready to use basis.”
The church will make operational adjustments, such as closing the Latty, Ohio storage facility and increasing volunteer hours at the Deseret Mill and Pasta Plant in Kaysville.
In the meantime, the church will continue to provide raw wheat for purchase at home storage centers and on their website.
