Japanese Latter-day Saints Donate to Food Banks and Children's Cafeteria for COVID-19 Relief

The Machida Tama Ward and Hachioji Ward members donated food supplies to children’s cafeteria and food banks in their own areas. The Church welfare department has been providing support in cooperation with other organizations to provide food to financially depleted people due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early April 2020, a proposal was taken to the Stake President of Machida Stake, Henry Substrom, to provide food assistance to people financially affected due to the outbreak. President Substorm recommended that the Hachioji Ward and the Tama Ward, which already partnered with the Social Welfare Council, to coordinate with the Elders Quorum and Relief Society to help promote this project.

Several members from the Tama Ward and Hachiji Ward gathered to execute the stake’s humanitarian project in collaboration with the Japanese local government. The saints at Tama Ward donated 60kg of rice, 20kg of potatoes, pasta, instant noodles, curry, roux, dried noodles, and etc to a children’s cafeteria while the members of the Hachioji Eard donated 300kg of rice to members who are in need, missionaries, and to the food bank.

According to Church Newsroom Japan, there are many food banks and children’s cafeteria in the two regions but because they partnered with the government, they only focused to organizations that need them most.