With a desire to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and live the two great commandments, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints engaged in 4,119 humanitarian projects in 191 countries and territories in 2023 — with 6.2 million hours of volunteer work and $1.36 billion in expenditures.
The Church’s Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary was released Thursday, March 21, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
An introduction from the First Presidency says Church leaders are humbled to share the summary of the Church’s efforts to continue the sacred work of caring for those in need.
“As we seek to show our love for God, our hearts naturally turn toward the well-being of others,” wrote President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring. “Christ Himself set the example of loving our neighbor as He healed the sick, fed the hungry, clothed the naked and cared for the vulnerable.”
The summary includes resources and services provided to assist members of the Church, but most of the summary describes humanitarian aid given to all of God’s children throughout the world.
“As followers of Jesus Christ, we consider this to be both a duty and a joyful privilege. We gratefully acknowledge the selfless contributions of time and means from Church members, friends and other trusted organizations that enable this work to progress and expand,” says the introduction.
The entire 43-page 2023 summary can be found online through the Caring website at Caring.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Its three sections include the work of members, global initiatives and the focuses of different areas around the world.
2023 Church donations and service at a glance
The $1.36 billion in expenditures helped others through humanitarian efforts, outreach and relief. Through funding and commodities, the Church supports thousands of humanitarian projects around the world without regard to race, nationality or religious affiliation.
The 6.2 million hours of volunteer work came in part through volunteering with the help of JustServe — a free online platform connecting charitable and nonprofit organizations with volunteers, which is now available in 17 countries. Hours of service are also done by missionaries and volunteers at Church facilities such as farms, orchards, canneries, Employment Services, Deseret Industries and more. Volunteering lifts countless people in need through disaster relief efforts and community service projects.
Welfare and self-reliance efforts primarily benefit Church members and include fast-offering support, food orders, educational programs, employment services, emotional health support and more.
Worldwide aid
- 921 women and children projects
- 601 healthcare projects
- 530 food security projects
- 415 emergency relief projects
- 206 clean water, hygiene and sanitation projects
- 64 mobility projects
JustServe
- 119,461 new JustServe users registered
- 17,502 new JustServe projects created
Service by members and missionaries
- 7,959,670 Relief Society members worldwide
- 11,368 Welfare and Self-Reliance missionaries
Building self-reliance
- 110,019 self-reliance group participants
- 10,112 Deseret Industries associates served
- 2,926 addiction recovery meetings per week
- 530 education projects
The summary notes that the figures do not include the personal services that Church members give individually as they minister to one another in called positions and voluntary member-to-member service. Latter-day Saints also individually volunteer and contribute to innumerable charitable organizations not formally connected with the Church.
Other takeaways from the Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary
In 2023, the Church especially focused on the care of women and children. More than 920 humanitarian projects were focused on women and children in 114 countries. These projects addressed child nutrition, maternal and newborn care and education.
The summary explains that in line with its stated aim to provide humanitarian assistance around the world, including areas of conflict, the Church collaborated with multiple international relief agencies in Gaza and Israel to provide significant financial resources for critical medical and mental health care, among other needs.
When it came to environmental stewardship, the Church donated 6.5 billion gallons of annual irrigation water to the Great Salt Lake in Utah and focused on developing water management plans for its agricultural properties and facilities. Other efforts included installing solar panels, donating trees and increasing recycling.
Many other portions of the annual summary outline efforts to feed the hungry, improve nutrition, provide housing support, support mental health, and contribute to health care, immunizations and mobility.
In a video posted by the Church, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson shared her gratitude for all those who have volunteered in their congregations and communities and for responding to disasters around the world.
“You have been much more than just hearers of the word. You have been doers,” she said.
Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé thanked members and friends of the Church for their sacrifice and love.
“May God bless you as we strive to emulate our Savior Jesus Christ’s example in reaching out to your brothers and sisters in need, whoever and wherever they are,” he said.
Getting involved in serving the community
The Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary encourages members of the Church and friends alike to serve others in their community by following four principles:
- Identify a need.
- Build meaningful relationships.
- Make a plan.
- Share experiences.
More information about serving in the community can be found at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/serve/serving-in-your-community, and local or remote service projects can be found through JustServe.
Many of the projects listed in the annual summary are made possible as the Church works with other organizations such as WaterAid, UNICEF, World Food Programme, Water for People, ShelterBox and more.
Blaine R. Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services department, said it is a privilege to participate in ongoing efforts to build resilience and care for those in need while striving to keep the two great commandments.
“I’m grateful for the generous donations of time and resources of our faithful members and friends of the Church,” Maxfield said. “It is because of their work that we are able to serve God’s children and help them feel His love.”
