Local Church Assists In China's Coronavirus Fight

By Linda McMillian

Alpharetta-Roswell, Ga. — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently sent two chartered planes full of much needed medical supplies to China. One of those planes was filled with items from the Church's local storehouse in Tucker, GA. The other came from the church's headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Partnering with Project HOPE (Health Oriented Preventive Education)(https://www.projecthope.org/), the group was able to more effectively help with current medical needs in China. The medical equipment will be used at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, where supplies have been depleted due to the recent Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

Church members, in the Roswell/Alpharetta area and throughout the world donate to Latter Day Saint Charities , the nonprofit humanitarian arm of the Church, focused on relieving suffering, fostering self-reliance and providing opportunities for service for people around the world regardless of religion, nationality or race. Since 1985, $2.3 billion of these funds have been used for humanitarian efforts worldwide (https://www.latterdaysaintcharities.org/).

Cameron Hatch, a program specialist with Latter-day Saint Charities explained that these supplies will replenish the necessary but dwindling stock of personal protective equipment in China.

“We are sending these supplies to the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. The staff will use the equipment as they treat those who have this virus. When they go on break, they have to take the equipment off. When they come back, they need new equipment. So the supplies are depleting quite rapidly.”

Hatch noted that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President, Russell M. Nelson, asked Latter-day Saint Charities to consider the global partners that were already helping with the virus and see how the Church could help.

That’s when they learned that Project HOPE was working in Wuhan and, when they contacted the group, the nonprofit specifically asked for the masks, goggles and coveralls.

When the planes landed in Shanghai, area Church volunteers unloaded both airplanes of supplies including 220,000 respirator masks, 870 pairs of protective goggles and more than 6,500 pairs of protective coveralls sent on 79 pallets of protective medical equipment.

As reported in Voice of America, “The cargo holds in those 747s were full of medical and other supplies donated by Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse, by the LDS (Latter-Day Saint) Church out in Salt Lake, to take supplies and to take things that will help the people in Wuhan, as a sign of our friendship to the people of China from the people of the United States,” stated White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.

“This is a very dangerous and concerning virus, we need to do everything we can to contain it now,” O’Brien observed. “This is something that goes beyond politics.” (https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/coronavirus-tests-us-china-ties)

President Nelson, who worked as a world-recognized heart surgeon prior to taking leadership of the Church, performed life-saving heart surgeries throughout the world including in China.

The former medical doctor remarked, “I have had associations with the good people of China for decades. These are our dear brothers and sisters, and we feel privileged to be able to offer some small measure of help. We pray for them and know God will bless them.”

In China, volunteer Patrick Cheuk said this pattern of helping others, the essence of the Latter-day Saint ideal of following Jesus Christ, is deeply motivating.

“Nothing is worth more than giving ourselves to others in times of need,” according to Cheuk.