The Colorado Springs Gazette recently profiled a Mormon family who have followed the counsel of the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and built up an extensive food storage in their basement.
Leaders of the Church have counseled members for years to build and maintain a supply of food and other essentials to use in times of need – be it a widespread natural disaster, or a family-level crisis such as a period of unemployment. In that vein, the First Presidency (the prophet of the Church and his two counselors) recently issued the following statement:
“We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
“We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.” -The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007, 1
John and Susan Leavitt of Pine Creek, Colorado, have taken this counsel to heart. Carol McGraw of the Gazette describes what she saw in their basement: “an extensive emergency stash: buckets of wheat, rice, beans, oats, canned vegetables and fruit, powdered fruit drinks, razors, zip-lock bags, shampoo, candles, (and) toilet paper” as well as “dehydrated milk.”
The Leavitts, along with other Mormons in Colorado, use two LDS-owned canneries to help them stock their storage. Both canneries help the members can the food that they need. “It’s a place where machines are whirring and clanking, and volunteers in hairnets are filling cans with beans, rice, cocoa powder and other dry commodities,” McGraw says of the dry pack facility in Colorado Springs. There is also a cannery in Aurora that allows members to can “wet” items such as vegetables and fruits.
Similar canneries are available throughout the United States and throughout the world. Patrons make appointments in advance to visit the cannery, and place their orders to ensure that the cannery has the food available that they want. On their assigned day, cannery personnel help them to can their orders. Patrons of the cannery do have to pay for the food that they can, but the prices are generally lower than those they might find in stores.
People purchasing food for their personal storage aren’t the only ones who benefit from the canneries. The bishop’s storehouse maintains a supply of food items for Mormons who need financial assistance.
“It’s a blessing,” said Rachael Porter to the Gazette. “This way our children don’t go hungry.” Porter’s family is receiving assistance because her husband was hospitalized and their medical bills are large.
In order for families to receive assistance, they must first meet with their bishop (the leader of their local Latter-day Saint congregation). He assesses their level of need and can approve temporary assistance when appropriate. “Bishop’s storehouses,” as they are called, are part of the LDS Church welfare system that enables the Church to care for those in need. They are also available throughout the United States and Canada. Most of it is produced and canned by volunteers.
To learn more about building up your own food storage, including guidelines for what to store and how much you will need, visit www.providentliving.org.
