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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made an $8 million donation to support a homegrown school meals program in Haiti.
The United Nations World Food Programme runs the homegrown school meals program in Haiti, where half the population struggles to find enough food to eat. A press release Tuesday from the World Food Programme said the announcement of the donation was made at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting in New York City.
"As followers of Jesus Christ, we strive to care for those in need as he would," said Blaine R. Maxfield, managing director of the church's Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, in the press release. "These efforts in Haiti will help ensure that children have access to the nutrition they need to focus on their education, while at the same time strengthening communities by sourcing meals locally."
Calling the Church of Jesus Christ "an essential collaborator," Barron Segar, World Food Program USA president and CEO, said the contribution builds on more than a decade of work together.
"In addition to supporting work on the ground in Haiti, we are grateful for the church's generosity in helping us serve thousands of people in other countries around the world this year, as we combat the world's global hunger crisis," said Segar.
During the year 2024 alone, the release noted the Church of Jesus Christ has supported food assistance in several countries — including emergency food delivery in Ukraine and Nigeria, feeding schoolchildren in different countries and also helping newborn children and mothers have access to the nutrition they need in Chad, Ecuador, Cuba, Guinea, Honduras and Peru.
The Church of Jesus Christ's donation will aid the World Food Programme as it works with local governments and other partners to bolster meals using food from local smallholder farmers. Seventy percent of the school meals will be made with Haiti-grown ingredients bought from local farmers. The press release said sourcing the food locally helps support the local economy and ensures the program is sustainable. Children in Haiti receiving the school meals are provided with nutrition and fuel to continue their education.
The World Food Programme is planning on providing meals to around half a million students during the 2024-2025 school year.
