News Item: Brazilian members distribute 100 tons of food
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From LDS Church News Archive
June 1, 2002
By Fernando Assis
Brazil public affairs director
SAO PAULO, Brazil — More than 25,000 members and friends joined in a nationwide "Day of the Volunteer" recently in which they emphasized home food storage by distributing to agencies and people in need storage containers filled with food.
During the massive project, more than 100 tons of food was distributed free in the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Parana, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Alagoas, Rio Grando do Norte, Ceara and the Federal District. About 100 agencies, including day care nurseries, mental health homes, orphanages and public housing projects were assisted with supplies. In addition, as the food was placed in storage containers in local meetinghouses in the preceding months, many friends and neighbors who helped in the project became acquainted with the Church. And volunteering members became more interested in preparing their own home storage.
The "Day of the Volunteer," held May 1, was organized by local Church leaders and public affairs directors. It began a month earlier with wards and stakes creating home storage workshops during which members and friends placed beans and rice in 2-liter bottles that had been sterilized. It was emphasized that this storage was to prepare against loss of employment, or health problems that would make it impossible to work, and other unforeseen domestic difficulties. A basic tenet of home storage was to teach families to avoid waste.
During the service project, one of Brazil's largest television stations, Rede Globo, covered the activity and broadcast it on a program hosted by Ana Maria Braga, a well-known personality in Brazil.
"Brazil has some of the richest garbage in the world," she wryly observed.
She visited Vila Sonia Ward, Sao Paulo Brazil Stake, where she interviewed Jennie Mingorance, a specialist in home storage, who commented, "I am pleased to see that this technique has helped many people live in a provident manner by avoiding wasted food."
Gloria Brehm, multistake public affairs director in Porto Alegre, said, "As representatives of television have approached us, we have been pleased to give many interviews. The interviews make up an entire hour on television."
Among the agencies helped by the food program was the Institute of Infantile Cancer. Representatives of the institute came to a meetinghouse to join in the storage project. As they saw the effort and worked with the members, one commented, "What a good thing it is for us to have people such as you, involved in a work to help those less-favored. At this moment, we are able to reflect on the meaning of life."
Representatives from other agencies also expressed their appreciation for being remembered in the service project.
Esmeralda Alves da Silva, manager of a center for the aged in Sao Paulo, commented, "We have now received donations, and, at no cost, have also learned to store food against a time of shortage."
Silvia Farias, multi-stake public affairs council director in Fortaleza, said, "Here in this city, the project served to motivate members to work on their food storage. Many of them held home evenings about home storage."
She said that in her city, six tons of food was prepared and distributed by some 1,200 volunteers.
In Maceio, eight tons of food was distributed, involving some 1,000 volunteers. Many of those volunteers were friends of the Church. One of them, Maria Jose, said, "This is so important it has awakened in all of us the need to donate more; I want to participate always."
Natan Fontes, multi-stake director of public affairs in Brasilia, which donated 5 tons of food, and involved 1,500 volunteers, said the project was a grand success. "Here in Brasilia, where we have optimum coverage of the media, the community has joined us in seeking more information on this subject," he said.
Benedito Jose da Silva, president of Maceio Brazil Litoral Stake, said, "Involving society and having them working with us in our chapels has made a success of this project."
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