New Zealand Latter-day Saints to Send 2,000 Food Boxes to Vanuatu

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Auckland, New Zealand will pack 2,000 food boxes this Saturday to be sent to Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The aid will be distributed to people in the cyclone-ravaged Pacific nation.

Each food box will contain: flour; rice; canned fruit, beans, corned beef and fish; crackers; raisins; noodles; chocolate milk powder; and a can opener. The containers can also be used for other purposes such as carrying water.

The boxes will be assembled by "Mormon Helping Hands" volunteers from the Latter-day Saints’ Auckland New Zealand Mt Roskill Stake.

The Church has chartered an Air New Zealand Airbus A320 to transport 600 of the boxes on Monday 23 March. The remaining boxes will be sent via commercial flights and by ship. 570 six-person tents will be shipped on 28 March.

Supplies including machetes, axes, hammers and corrugated iron roofing nails are being purchased by the Church in Vanuatu to assist people as they rebuild their homes. 1,000 refillable water containers with purification filters are being sent to Vanuatu from the Church's headquarters in Salt Lake City.

The purchase and delivery of food and other aid supplies are made possible by the donations of Latter-day Saints and others around the world.

Pacific Area President of the Church, Elder Kevin W. Pearson, said, "We love our brothers and sisters in Vanuatu and hope to help them through this challenging time."

"We are grateful for our Church volunteers and others from government, community and business groups with whom we are working as we support the people in Vanuatu."

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