California LDS provide meals for evacuees, firefighters

As the winds in Southern California have started to subside and firefighters

accelerate their work combating 17 different fires, members of The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined the relief efforts Tuesday by ensuring

evacuees and emergency personnel were fed.

“Providing meals became a priority for Church members after they learned that

some firefighters had worked for 15 hours with no food,” said Elder John Dalton,

a Church leader in Southern California.

Mormons in the San Bernardino area spent most of Wednesday morning preparing

over 2,000 meals — 1,000 for evacuees staying at the National Orange Show

Fairgrounds in San Bernardino and 1,000 for firefighters and police.

Carolyn Fenn, a local Church leader, was concerned because it had been

difficult to get provisions to those who were fighting the fires in the

mountains. Tuesday night Fenn, along with 30 Mormon missionaries and 50

volunteers, prepared 1,000 sandwiches and delivered them to the firefighters’

command center in Lake Arrowhead.

“Along with the sandwiches, we were able to deliver 100 dozen cookies baked

by Church members. The firefighters appreciated the relief the food brought,”

Fenn said.

To date, the Church delivered five truckloads of supplies to evacuees in the San

Diego area. Blankets and hygiene kits were given to evacuees in the Lake

Arrowhead/Running Springs area. Thirteen chapels are currently being used as

temporary shelters.

“We will keep our chapels open as shelters and continue to provide food for

as long as the community needs it,” said Dalton.