Food storage plan to help your ward

[Pitcher]

Our ward is about 40 miles from the nearest Bishops storehouse and cannery. It is only open Monday - Friday during the day. This makes it hard for a lot of members to go to the cannery for dry pack.

Our High Priest quorum started a service project for the ward about 14 months ago. Once a month we take orders collect the money and go to the cannery. We can what ever food the members want and bring it back to a central location, where it is easy for them to pick it up.

The program has been a great success, a lot of the younger families are budgeting for food storage every month. Our ward is not real large, but we get about $500.00 of food a month. A second ward in our stake has recently adopted the idea.

If we can do this in liberal California, you should be able to do a lot better in Utah.

[mgriffith]

For the past three or four years, I have had a standing offer to the members of our branch. I'll go to the Bishop's storehouse, can your order, pay for it, and bring it to you. You just need to then pay me. No one has taken me up on it so far. Oh, I'll get a request to bring them a case of potato pearls, or a can of hot chocolate, but that is just them using me to do their shopping and I won't do that. I'll bring them several cases of potatoes or wheat or flour, but I won't do their shopping.

Nex thing you'll know, they will want me to stop off at Wal-Mart and get a carton of cigarettes for them.

The problem, as I see it, is a lack of leadership. In my over 20 years as a member, I have not once seen any member of the bishopric or branch presidency at the cannery. They may go on their own, I don't know....but they have never lead a group of members there.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

Mark

[LEVE]

Great ideas! I'm going to propose these in PEC this morning!

[Earthling]

Our bishop's wife went every time the Relief Society had a cannery appointment. We had a Relief Society presidency that scheduled quarterly to go to the cannery and then people signed up who wanted to go. I think they usually filled it. I went once and we had enough people for two appointments so luckily they had room. I think it really depends on your leadership. Unfortunately, they didn't do much else as far as preparation.

One good idea was the Mutual passed out the fliers of food/prices at the cannery and people filled them out and turned them in with their checks. They then had a service night where they canned everyone's orders and dropped them off (this is Utah so that was easy). They canned almost 1000 cans. I hope they do it again. Great idea & it worked!

[prairiemom]

Those cannery hours are not very convenient. They ought to be open on Saturday's or evenings at least SOME time--maybe once or twice a month, maybe only 4 hrs, maybe be open one evening a week. It's up to the SP to talk to the cannery coordinators to see if something more convenient for members can't be arranged.

I agree with you on the not doing someone else's shopping. Some members will not do food storage even if it's delivered to their door and I refuse to enable them.

I think I've complained here already about our apple trees. Members say "I can't afford to do FS" I say, come pick my apples. I have enough for 5 families, you can have all the apple sauce and juice and pie filling you want. They say "I don't know how to can" I say then after picking the apples, you come inside and we'll can a batch of apple sauce together and you can see how easy it is. "But I don't have any jars." Well, it so happens I just got a bunch at a rummage sale, you can have a couple dozen for $5. "But I have my children with me and I don't know what to do with them." Jeesh! I have 4 acres of playground and 3 boys to play with. :banghead:

That's it. Go ahead and whine and excuse your way into starvation. When there is no food to be had don't you DARE come ask me to share. It won't happen.

This has happened at least a half dozen times or so. This last year I even picked all the apples and told them to just come pick them up, most of the work was already done. Instead I ended up juicing it all--about 55 gal of apple juice. Guess what we're drinking every week. :smilewinkgrin:


:rant:

[Noahs ARK]

I think I've complained here already about our apple trees. Members say "I can't afford to do FS" I say, come pick my apples. I have enough for 5 families, you can have all the apple sauce and juice and pie filling you want.

I'd be there in a heartbeat! Applesauce is so easy to make. I also love canning apple pie filling.

My mom offered her pears, apples & apricots to anyone who wanted to pick them. Only 1 family took her up on the offer and picked those trees clean. They had 8 kids and every one of those kids was involved in the picking, cleaning & canning.

Another time I had about 500 lbs of wheat to give away cuz we were moving out of state. Again - nobody wanted it "cuz it was too heavy to move". The same family came and got them - had to make a couple of trips, but she wasn't going to pass up that wheat!

We didn't have a small Ward, either! But only 1 family was interested.

[4evermama]

In my experience, no one wants to do the work. At one point, our ward was actually "uninvited" to the storehouse because people would make appointments and then never show up. I've heard every excuse posted here...and then some. I've even been told that "the product at the storehouse is such poor quality that I wouldn't feed it to my dog." Well, I guess there will be no chance of them coming to my house if they are ever hungry. I cook with "church food" every day of my life. In fact, I use it all the time when I sign up to bring dishes for activities. (No one complains when they don't know what they are eating.) There will always be the need for excuses when intentions are absent.

The bottom line-apathy...both spiritually and temporally.
It is the golden standard to which so many surrender.

The best we can do is to work as hard as possible and hope that somewhere along the way, SOMEONE will want to join in on the fun.

[Noahs ARK]

"the product at the storehouse is such poor quality that I wouldn't feed it to my dog."

Oh my - now those are the people that won't even be able to FIND dog food cuz people like ME are stocking that, too!

I don't understand why people have such a hard time with food storage. There's nothing that gives me greater satisfaction than looking at my food storage and knowing my family won't starve to death.

If they think food storage is "too much work", wait until they have to scrounge for food to stay alive. No thanks - I'd rather be prepared!

[Noahs ARK]

My mom offered her pears, apples & apricots to anyone who wanted to pick them. Only 1 family took her up on the offer and picked those trees clean. They had 8 kids and every one of those kids was involved in the picking, cleaning & canning.

I forgot to mention this....after they'd done all their canning, they brought a case of goodies to my mom. Canned pears, applesauce, apricot jam.

That was a win/win situation for everyone!

[Earthling]

Wow - I wish I lived by Prairie Mom - I would take those apples in a heartbeat or any other fruit unless it was full of worms (what my mother-in-law would offer).

[Pitcher]

I see a lot of complaining about ungrateful or lazy people and to me that does not matter. Since we have started the plan the majority of the food has gone to families that would not have been able to get to the cannery. Since they would have to take time of work, get baby sitters and such.

A lot of the food has been in small orders from members who have having to budget thier money. If someone wants to use us for thier shopping I don't care. The majority of the members who order are working to get thier food storage in. If anyone takes advantage of us they will have to answer for that later.

When I see that food going into peoples storage every month I think that is one more mouth that the church won't have to help feed. Remember they are your brothers and sisters.

[signseeker]

If anyone takes advantage of us they will have to answer for that later.


If we let them, we might have to answer for that, too. :d0 (36): We have to do the right thing here and now and not pass everything off till Judgment Day. That's kind of a cop-out. I believe that's what the Lord has taught me, anyway.

[signseeker]

that is one more mouth that the church won't have to help feed.

"The Church" will not feed us. The Church doesn't have enough to feed its millions of members. That's why it teaches food storage, so we can be self-reliant and feed ourselves. I think we've known for 150 years that food storage is the Church's plan.

[caml]

How I wish we lived closer to "civilization".

The closest church resourse for buying food storage is 3 provinces away. I asked the BPs wife where local members get things like wheat. She said she didn't know, they don't like wheat so she doesn't bother with it. (You think she would be more helpful after I let her come pick half my blueberry harvest for what she thought was fair).

I have tried to contact the stake and find out who coordinates prepardness in our area but after 2 weeks no response. I just want to know where, within a 3 hour radius, I could buy wheat and other long term storage items. They are heavy, and really expensive to ship in the mail to rural areas.

[prairiemom]

I just want to know where, within a 3 hour radius, I could buy wheat and other long term storage items. They are heavy, and really expensive to ship in the mail to rural areas.

Where in Canada do you live? Most of the middle and western provinces are big producers of wheat--hard winter wheat if I'm not mistaken. I am a big advocate of purchasing locally. In the states we have an Extension Service--do you have something like that there? Like a Farm Bureau or agency? I recommend calling the Canadian equivalent of the Extension Agency and finding out who produces wheat locally. Most farmers here are happy to sell their wheat to a local source. They get a bigger profit selling it to me than going through agents. Or you can contact grain elevators. Farm stores? Feed lots? I'm willing to bet that omeone knows someone who produces wheat near you.

[mgriffith]

"The Church" will not feed us. The Church doesn't have enough to feed its millions of members. That's why it teaches food storage, so we can be self-reliant and feed ourselves. I think we've known for 150 years that food storage is the Church's plan.

This is exactly right. The GAs have told us many time that the Church cannot provide for everyone, and there is no Church plan to do so, except to promote preparedness.

I remember a story about J. Golden Kimble. This was related to tithing, but it also applies here.

J. Golden was at a stake priesthood meeting and he asked all the men who would gladly give up their lives for the Church to raise their hands. Everyone did. Then he asked all the full tithe payers to raise their hands. Some went up. He turned to the Stake President and said something like, "President, it looks like your priesthood would rather die than pay their tithing."

I think this is accurate, but you never know as J. Golden stories are often skewed.

My problem with this is those people that are ignoring the prophets now, will try to tell you that you are not living up to the spirit of the Savior if you do not share your food with them. They will claim that if you do, you will be immensely blessed as the miracle of the loaves and fishes will happen in your own home. They believe that because of their righteousness, they will be saved by the Lord, and you will be the His instrument. After all, how could the Lord allow their children, His little ones, to suffer?

It always amazing me how many Bishops do not have any food storage, or just maintain the absolute minimum that the Church recommends. I have never asked, but I wonder how many think they will be responsible for gathering in all the food in the ward and distributing it as they see fit......of course making sure their family does not suffer too much.

Mark

[signseeker]

They will claim that if you do, you will be immensely blessed as the miracle of the loaves and fishes will happen in your own home. They believe that because of their righteousness, they will be saved by the Lord, and you will be the His instrument.

Why not bypass the risk of me not being a righteous enough instrument and bank on the food being brought by ravens, or manna falling instead? :frusty:

[Noahs ARK]

My problem with this is those people that are ignoring the prophets now, will try to tell you that you are not living up to the spirit of the Savior if you do not share your food with them. They will claim that if you do, you will be immensely blessed as the miracle of the loaves and fishes will happen in your own home. They believe that because of their righteousness, they will be saved by the Lord, and you will be the His instrument. After all, how could the Lord allow their children, His little ones, to suffer?

Mark

Years ago my best friend and I rented a house together. We were both young, but I had already started my food storage and continued to add to it each week - most of the time it was just 1 can of something or a box of mac & cheese. Whenever we talked to other church members, she always made a point of saying "OUR" food storage is in the basement.

Now fast forward to spring & summer - I was out planting, weeding and tending to the garden while she sat in the shade with her book. Come harvest time, she'd wander around the neighborhood sharing "OUR" bounty with the Bishop and the Ward members.

To this day (36 years later) she still doesn't have any storage because she truly believes the church will take care of her.

I ask myself the same question every time I think about her "Would you share your storage with her? Would you invite her and her husband to live in your home when the STHF?"

I still don't know the answer because even tho she was my best friend, I knew it was laziness on her part. She could certainly afford it, but spends her money on other things and isn't willing to make the sacrifices needed.

But I feel like I'm going to be tested on this one. :willy_nilly:

[Pitcher]

First of all what I said about the church feeding people does apply. As a member of a Bishopric I see members recieve food assistance from the Church every month. If they had food storage this would be different.

Also about members taking advantage of the program. I do not know if that is occurring or not. Some order more than other. I am not going to say that because you only once in a while, we are doing your shopping.

When it comes to Church welfare, we are told that if there is doubt about a members needs we are to give them the benifit of the doubt. This does not mean that we let everyone take advantage of us, but in a close call we lean towards charity.

[phylm]

Our cannery is more than a 2 hour drive, and when we go, we pick up orders for other members, (and a non-member or two--with the knowledge of the cannery directors.)

One member, who is a prep freak, too, organizes a big load of orders from Walton Feeds every 6 months, that is delivered to the meetinghouse parking lot, where members pick up their orders. Anyone ordering must pay for it by a certain date before she puts the order in. She puts in a tremendous amount of work, and she is surely doing the Lord's work.

[4evermama]

There are many ways to encourage members and to help facilitate action. Bulk group orders, youth service activities, barter exchanges, community gardens, home-canning "parties".....these are all worthy ideas that are put into play every day, all over the world. I personally have seen many haircuts traded for fresh eggs, honey or rice and beans. (I venture to add that we may see much more of this in the days yet to come.)

Most anyone that I know of who actually puts "effort" into this endeavor, does so with the spirit of compassion and brotherly love. They WANT people to prepare; they want people to be involved. They are the first people to offer help when it is needed or wanted.

However, this isn't some sort of exclusionary club where some are invited to do the work and others are not. We are ALL counseled to prepare every needful thing...for ourselves and for our families. We are not counseled to enable those who would not help themselves. As far as I am aware, no church leader has ever stated that we "need not worry for the church will provide"...and if the church cannot, then Sally Sue down the street will make sure that your children are clothed and fed. There is a HUGE difference between those who "cannot" and those who "don't".

[Noahs ARK]

I personally have seen many haircuts traded for fresh eggs, honey or rice and beans. (I venture to add that we may see much more of this in the days yet to come.)

*snip*

There is a HUGE difference between those who "cannot" and those who "don't".

My father is an eye doc - I can't tell you how many exams and glasses he gave out in exchange for a bushel of corn, haircuts for us kids, mowed lawn, shoveled snow.

I agree - there's a big difference between "cannot" and "don't". We have a mother and daughter that live way down the street from us. They struggle to put food on the table every day, but never forget to put food & water out every day for all the stray kittens & cats that are dumped in our area. In the winter they put up a little tent-like structure for them to stay warm.

I would take them into my house in a heartbeat - wouldn't have to think twice about it.

[signseeker]

A tent city for cats? :shocked:

[Noahs ARK]

A tent city for cats? :shocked:

Yep - and I donate the straw! :biggrin5:

[4evermama]

"A tent city for cats? :shocked: "

:rofl: that visual just made my day.
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[Noahs ARK]

"A tent city for cats? :shocked: "

:rofl: that visual just made my day.
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I'm still laughing! That was a good one, huh? :rofl:

[mgriffith]

I would take them into my house in a heartbeat - wouldn't have to think twice about it.

We all know people on both sides. My only plan, if you could call it that, is that I would have to pray constantly for guidance and trust in what the Lord tells me to do. I have a friend I have already told not to worry but just get to my house and bring as much of his food storage as he can. He would be an asset to any group. His wife is not nearly as steady and dependable, but she would have to come along as she is not mentally or emotionally stable. But his kids would need to go someplace else.

Mark

[Noahs ARK]

But his kids would need to go someplace else.

Mark

But what if he said at the last minute "If my kids can't come, neither can I" ??

[mgriffith]

But what if he said at the last minute "If my kids can't come, neither can I" ??

Then I would say, "that's your choice." His two boys are worthless, mindless PC gaming addicts. They don't do anything but play computer games, so I would not have them around in a crisis. Call me harsh if you want, but if they can't contribute then they need to go someplace else. And during a crisis not the time to teach them responsibility.

Let's face it, there will be a lot of people that during a SHTF scenario will have no food storage, and no skills to use to get food. The first group I would shun would be politicians since they created the problem. After that would be managers and artisans I would not need some guy to create Ghantt charts to plot the flow of the gardening effort, or women who throw cans of paint at a wall or do silk flower centerpieces.

I don't want to create a little fiefdom for myself, but I would welcome people into my little group where we can help each other. If they have skills we need, or food to contribute, then by all means, join us. There are some people in my branch that I have already decided we will help no matter what they can do. There are a couple older ladies that can't fend for themselves, but they would bring with them a special spirit that everyone would feel, and I would be happy to provide for them just to have their presence in our group.

But people that have the full capabilities to gather their food storage and learn some skills, but choose not to, are also choosing the outcome, whether they like it or not.

Mark

[Noahs ARK]

Then I would say, "that's your choice." His two boys are worthless, mindless PC gaming addicts. They don't do anything but play computer games, so I would not have them around in a crisis. Call me harsh if you want, but if they can't contribute then they need to go someplace else. And during a crisis not the time to teach them responsibility.

Mark

I don't think that's harsh at all. I have a BIL that won't be coming to our house because he's an alcoholic - don't need to worry about that on top of everything else. He would contribute nothing. Zero. Zilch.

Thanks for your honest answer!

[LEVE]

But what if he said at the last minute "If my kids can't come, neither can I" ?? Sad to say, but life and death are often made of choices... some good, some bad...

[signseeker]

See, what's awesome is that I learn new words on this forum. FIEFDOM. I like that. Thank you, Feudal Lord Griffith. :thumbsup:

I'm of the opinion that some people you may *think* are going to be great and helpful during a crisis may just turn out to be dead weight. And the losers may just rise to the occasion. You'd definitely need to be close to the Lord to know what's best. And even then I think He lets us learn from our choices, good and bad.

[phylm]

Then I would say, "that's your choice." His two boys are worthless, mindless PC gaming addicts. They don't do anything but play computer games, so I would not have them around in a crisis. Call me harsh if you want, but if they can't contribute then they need to go someplace else. And during a crisis not the time to teach them responsibility.

Let's face it, there will be a lot of people that during a SHTF scenario will have no food storage, and no skills to use to get food. The first group I would shun would be politicians since they created the problem. After that would be managers and artisans I would not need some guy to create Ghantt charts to plot the flow of the gardening effort, or women who throw cans of paint at a wall or do silk flower centerpieces.

I don't want to create a little fiefdom for myself, but I would welcome people into my little group where we can help each other. If they have skills we need, or food to contribute, then by all means, join us. There are some people in my branch that I have already decided we will help no matter what they can do. There are a couple older ladies that can't fend for themselves, but they would bring with them a special spirit that everyone would feel, and I would be happy to provide for them just to have their presence in our group.

But people that have the full capabilities to gather their food storage and learn some skills, but choose not to, are also choosing the outcome, whether they like it or not.

Mark
Thoughtful post, MGRIFFITH. Thank you. Wish we lived where we could join with you. We have more than enough storage for 4 adults for a year, but expect that we'll be of more value to the grasshoppers who will undoubtedly land at my cousins' house, by teaching skills and kicking butt to make them do the work to help all of us to survive. (I'm an old hand at butt-kicking!)

[DMGNUT]

First of all what I said about the church feeding people does apply. As a member of a Bishopric I see members recieve food assistance from the Church every month. If they had food storage this would be different.

Also about members taking advantage of the program. I do not know if that is occurring or not. Some order more than other. I am not going to say that because you only once in a while, we are doing your shopping.

When it comes to Church welfare, we are told that if there is doubt about a members needs we are to give them the benifit of the doubt. This does not mean that we let everyone take advantage of us, but in a close call we lean towards charity.


The Bishop's Storehouse is for the needy among us (members and non-members alike). It has very little to do with the wet or dry pack cannery foods, that are available for members to buy for their food storage. True they spring from the same source (in a manner of speaking), but in a crisis situation both would run out overnight. Again true, that the Lord may see fit to multiply the loafs, especially for the needy who had not the means to acquire their food storage. But will He do this for the unfaithful members, who were warned, yet turned a blind eye to His counsel? It's not my place to say or pass judgment, but the parable of the Ten Virgins speaks volumes on this subject. And so have other Church Leaders...


In mercy the Lord warns and forewarns. He sees the coming storm, knows the forces operating to produce it, and calls aloud through His prophets; advises, counsels, exhorts, even commands--that we prepare for what is about to befall, and take shelter while yet there is time.
But we go our several ways, feasting and making merry, consoling conscience with the easy fancy of 'time enough', and in idle hope that the tempest will pass us by, or that when it begins to gather thick and black about us, we can turn back and find shelter.
James E. Talmage, The Parables of James E. Talmage, p. 50


I feel the same about this topic as I do about Church members being ill equipped to defend themselves and their families, which many Prophets have had a great deal to say about as well. Only about 16% of members have their food stores, and far less than that could effectively defend anyone.

[DMGNUT]

On the topic of sharing your food...

President Spencer W. Kimball identified who the Ten Virgins are in the Church. ?I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and not the rank and file of the world. All of the virgins, wise and foolish, had accepted the invitation to the wedding supper. They had knowledge of the program and had been warned of the important day to come.
They (the foolish) knew the way, but gave only a small measure of loyalty and devotion. I ask you, what value is a car without an engine, a cup without water, a table without food, or a lamp without oil? Hundreds of thousands of us today are in this position. Confidence has been dulled and patience worn thin. It is so hard to wait and be prepared always. But we cannot allow ourselves to slumber. The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning. The foolish asked others to share their oil, but spiritual (as well as temporal) preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. The wise had to go, else the bridegroom would have gone unwelcomed. They needed all their oil for themselves, they could not save the foolish. The responsibility was each for himself?.
(From: Faith Precedes The Miracle, pg. 253)

Bottom line is? it?s your food storage to use as you see fit, or to share if you are prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. It is not your Bishop?s or even the Church's. We should try to store extra, but we can only do so much, in regards to caring for those who are unable or unwilling to obtain their own. If the unprepared members of the Church don't have faith enough to follow the Lord?s guidance to store food, where are they going to get faith enough to have it miraculously increased, as in the story of the widow?
There will be much pressure, even harassment, from many of those same unprepared members, who will insist that you must share. But I would ask you, which child are you going to have starve, so that you can feed the disobedient? Your own family, is your stewardship first... all else is a distant second.
In an old Church pamphlet, was found the words of Ernest Wilkinson, who said, ?Our responsibility in this regard (speaking of food storage) is first to our family, then to those who were not warned (meaning non-members), and lastly, to the disobedient members of the Church?.
And I agree...

[Earthling]

DMGNUT - very very well said!

[arbilad]

"The Church" will not feed us. The Church doesn't have enough to feed its millions of members. That's why it teaches food storage, so we can be self-reliant and feed ourselves. I think we've known for 150 years that food storage is the Church's plan.

I know that this is an old post, but I thought I'd respond anyway.
At least in certain areas, the church's resources for feeding people are already at their limit. The truck from the Bishop's storehouse to our area is full every trip, and there is still more need. I know one family where the father didn't get paid for a few weeks. The Bishop declined to give them food assistance because he still had a job (even though he was not getting paid). Other families in the ward helped them with food until he finally got paid.
So it's not a hypothetical. The church's ability to feed us is already at maximum, at least in some areas. Imagine if it gets worse.

[KF7EEC]

Our Ward Cannery Specialist (or is it Ward Family Home Storage Center Specialist... :l0 (46): ) sets up 1 or 2 sessions per month at the local Home Storage Center, which is 10-15 minutes away, if that. Few people go. My family doesn't go like we should either. I had told my wife that we need to make sure we go for the next one, if for no other reason that to know that we are appreciative of her efforts. The Cannery Specialist then sent out an email basically begging people to come. Its next Tuesday, and on my calendar to make sure I go.

[mgriffith]

I'm glad you're going. It's good to see members making use of what the Lord provides through the Church.

I'm our branch preparedness specialist and canning rep and I can't get anyone to go, no matter how I put it. We have canning sessions at the Bishop's storehouse each month, and I usually go to each one even if it's just to help those that are there from other wards and stakes for their own food storage canning. We used to do wet canning years ago. Doing soup in August was not fun!

The storehouse is about a 90 minute drive into St. Louis, so many members say it's hard for them to get there. The temple is nearly the same distance, and we have people going there all the time, so I know the drive is not the reason. But then the temple president bemoans the lack of patrons, so I guess it's just a general apathy within the membership that is the real issue.

Oh well, I do what I can, and I don't worry too much about it.

Mark