In support of the local government’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on August 18, 2021 to donate over 1000 PPE gowns and 4000 face masks.
Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, a counselor in the Philippines Area Presidency, was accompanied by Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC) Country Director Elder Jairus Perez in handing over the donations to the Quezon City government represented by Mayor Belmonte. After the brief handover ceremony, the group discussed partnership plans for future humanitarian projects in the city.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
“We know that the government is doing all that it can to help the people. If there is anything we can do to bless the lives of individuals and families in the community, let us know,” Elder Choi said.
Mayor Belmonte expressed her gratitude for the Church’s donations. She shared, “We are grateful for the Church. We know you are good people and we recognize your efforts to help the community.”
The donations will be distributed by the Quezon City Health Office to rural health units such as barangay (village) health centers and other strategic medical partners.
Speaking of the Church’s community efforts, Elder Perez said, “As a responsible member of the society, we are just doing our own little way to help support the government in taking care of its people. We recognize the admonition of our Lord to be our brother’s keeper. In times such as this, we are ready to help our fellow brothers and sisters.”
Sponsored by the Church, Latter-day Saint Charities is an application of the admonition of Jesus Christ to help others in need. Assistance is rendered without regard to race, religious affiliation, or nationality and is based on the core principles of personal responsibility, community support, self-reliance, and sustainability. Largely run with volunteer labor, LDSC operates both independently and in cooperation with other charitable organizations and governments. More than one million man-days of labor are contributed yearly by volunteers in support of welfare initiatives.