What to do first when you start

[Julie]

We have Visiting Teaching trios. We are in a threesome and stay together all year. We just got our new tios. I got a call from my Relief Society Pres. and she mentioned that she put a lady in my trio because she needs help in getting started on her food storage. I know my Relief Society has really been pushing preparedness. So now I need to bring up food storage and help her prepare. She is a single lady with teenage children and I know one has problems.
What would you suggest the first thing she do?

[hiccups]

Well, my first question would be, does this sister have a desire to do food storage yet? If she's been a member for any length of time, she has probably absorbed all the info she'd need to find a place to start. (And really, once a person has desire, there are quite a few places they could start and it would make little difference so long as they kept at it.)

So it seems to me that job one might be working on willingness and desire. And from your position I pretty much see two fronts to begin on. First, pray for her to understand the Lord's will for her on this matter and for her to have the desire to begin. Second, share your excitement about your preps. Maybe talk about the peace of mind it brings or how it's helped you learn to budget better or anything that makes you feel grateful you've done it. Maybe have your trio over to your house and just happen to let them see some of your efforts. Sky's the limit, really. Expose her to positive information and let the Holy Ghost whisper and work on her. I imagine that when she's ready to get going she'll know that you're a fabulous resource to help her.

[Julie]

She has told the Relief Society presidency that she has a desire to get her food storage but doesn't know where to begin or what to do. Would you call that a golden contact for preparedness?:l0 (49): I just want to steer her in the right direction.

[Earthling]

I would have her work on her 3 month supply of normal food plus water. As the prophet said - buy 2 cans instead of one when you shop - it won't hit her budget as hard is she puts what she can in her weekly grocery budget.

[signseeker]

For the three month supply, I like to have an idea of dinner meals I can make with only food storage items. Buy enough for a couple extra meals each time I go shopping. Also start drinking 7-up or other green-colored soda to use for water storage. :)

Maybe ask her what she and her children like to eat -- focus on that before you get into baking wheat bread, if she's not up to that yet. Maybe they like pasta or oatmeal or mainly canned goods... start with what they like and will eat. Food storage is your friend! <3

[Aldon]

I thought the green colored bottles were the ones you wanted to avoid.

[LarnaE]

The first thing that you do to start your food storage is pray. Pray and tell Heavenly Father that you have a desire to get started on food storage/prepardness. Ask him to help you know what the most important thing for you to do is and then start researching and talking to people and then he will give you promprtings and help you. When I prayed about foodstorage/preparedness. I was prompted to make my home more spiritual. When that was done then I was prompted to get other things like food ect.

[signseeker]

I understood the green color (or brown if you can find that one root beer) helps block out the UV light and you won't get so many critters growing in the water.

[ghostcat]

Or you can do what all ghostcat's do, ignore the color and store them in sealed cardboard boxes the deepest darkest recesses of your ghostcat lair!:l0 (46):

[mirkwood]

I would start with the prayer Larna suggested. Then I would get her a copy of the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In. I woud then get her going on the three month supply of regular food and two weeks of water per person in the home. After that, it all depends on her willingness to truly prepare and her financial situation. If she has the interent, send her to read this (my presentation) and have her apply what she feels is appropriate for her circumstances: http://www.rogmo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=205.

[Alma the Younger]

My advice to people who are just getting started is that they need to get together with their spouse and decide what their worst-case situation may be.

I have found that people will only prepare for what they actually believe has a chance of happening. For some this may be an Avian Flu emergency, for others it could be an economic disaster and for others it could simply be unemployment.

Let's face it. If my worst-case involves zombies and Chinese invasion and you think I'm completely off-base, then almost nothing I say will impress you. We each have to understand what it is we face. Where you live and other personal conditions will influence your decision. If I live in Florida I will be much more worried about hurricanes then snow blizzards.

First identify your parameters, then fill in the empty space.

419!

[mirkwood]

Good points also.