Hello, I'm Kirk Magleby, Chief Evangelist for Scripture Central. Dozens of scriptural passages command us to administer relief to the poor and the needy. Typical is Isaiah 58:7: “Deal thy bread to the hungry, bring the poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked, cover him.” In the spirit of these scriptural injunctions for us to be Christlike humanitarians, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a stunning press release. The Relief Society General Presidency announced a major expansion of the Church's global effort to improve women’s and children’s health.
Currently, 148 million children under the age of five are stunted—too short for their age—and 45 million suffer from wasting due to severe malnutrition. One-third of pregnant women worldwide suffer from anemia, and more than one-third of all humans are at risk of food insecurity. The most vulnerable populations for malnutrition are expectant mothers, infants, and children. Precious children of God are literally dying from hunger, and now the Church has officially entered the arena with $55.8 million to help eight trusted humanitarian partners scale up their proven health and nutrition interventions in 12 countries. These funds will help 12 million children and 2.7 million expectant mothers gain access to adequate nutrition and healthcare.
This initiative, called “Women and Children,” is led by the women of the Church. The nine-member consortium began operations in early June in Accra, Ghana. A progress report to the world will be issued in about a year. All health services will be evidence-based and will focus on both treatment and prevention of malnutrition in women, infants, and children. In the U.S., women, infants, and children are served by the excellent WIC program, a special supplemental nutrition program that includes prenatal care and healthy food for mothers and children through age five. The Church’s “Women and Children” initiative will provide WIC-type benefits, but not to the relatively affluent—it will serve women, infants, and children in 12 of the poorest countries on the planet.
France, the Netherlands, and other countries with excellent health outcomes demonstrate that investments in prenatal, infant, and childhood health bring huge lifelong benefits. The consortium includes the Relief Society, founded in 1842; CARE International, founded in 1945; Catholic Relief Services, founded in 1943; the Helen Keller International Foundation, founded in 1952; International Development Enterprises (IDE), founded in 1982; Medicine for All People, founded in 1954; Save the Children, founded in 1919; The Hunger Project, founded in 1977; and Vitamin Angels, founded in 1994. Together, these nine organizations have an average of 83 years of experience and are among the most effective in their fields.
Notice the strategic approach taken by the Latter-day Saint women leading this initiative. They have brought together experts in entrepreneurship, medicine, vitamins, food production, distribution, and healthcare delivery to create a health and nutrition ecosystem in selected communities. Tim Puit, president of The Hunger Project, stated, “Working collaboratively allows us to have a much broader impact that will lead to systems strengthening.”
I know a little about systems strengthening. For 30 years, I researched structural poverty, and in 2006, I wrote a book that contributed to the global dialogue on international development. Institutional poverty is caused by exploitative business models, often referred to as the “law of the jungle”—the strong oppress the weak. Poverty alleviation happens when win-win business models and altruistic institutions are made available to vulnerable populations. What the Relief Society is doing with this inspired Women and Children initiative is simply brilliant. Collaboration will build synergies, and evidence-based nutrition interventions will support healthy pregnancies, reduce maternal and infant mortality, and optimize childhood growth and development.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a long history of humanitarian relief. In February 1831, less than a year after the Church was organized, the Lord commanded in Doctrine and Covenants Section 42:34 to create the first bishop’s storehouse to assist the poor and needy. Fast forward to 2024, and the Church operates more than 150 bishop’s storehouses worldwide—“grocery stores without cash registers.” The system includes production facilities such as a peanut butter plant in Houston, Texas, which produces 400,000 jars of peanut butter annually for food banks.
The Relief Society, organized by Joseph Smith on March 17, 1842, has grown to over seven million members in more than 160 countries. It plays a vital role in providing relief to the poor. My wife, mother, daughter, and sisters have all served as Relief Society presidents, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible good this organization accomplishes.
In 1936, during the Great Depression, the Church organized a welfare program to help members recover financially. Today, there are more than 40 Deseret Industries thrift stores and employment centers. In 1985, facing famine in Ethiopia, Church members fasted and donated funds, leading to the creation of LDS Charities. Since then, the Church has specialized in clean water projects, maternal and newborn care, food production, and immunizations.
By 2022, the Church’s total humanitarian relief expenditures had topped $1 billion, with projects in 191 countries. In 2023, expenditures increased to $1.36 billion. The Women and Children initiative builds on this legacy, providing $55.8 million for nutrition and healthcare in 12 countries. This initiative will be led by nine experienced humanitarian organizations, creating a health ecosystem in underserved communities.
This initiative exemplifies the Church's commitment to Christlike altruism and the principles of pure religion as described in James 1:27. It reflects a long history of inspired leadership and financial stewardship, ensuring that those in need receive the support they deserve. Together, with faith and effort, the Relief Society and its partners are addressing poverty and malnutrition on a global scale.
