To help Canadians prepare for emergencies, Public Safety Canada coordinates an annual Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) in collaboration with the provinces, territories and partners. Leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been teaching self-sufficiency for many years.
This year’s EP Week is being held 3–9 May 2015 with a focus on being self-sufficient for 72 hours. For the first 72 hours following an emergency, frontline emergency responders may be assisting those in urgent need and might not have the ability to support other households.
Church leaders have encouraged members of the Church to maintain a reasonable supply of food, water and other items that might be required to sustain themselves in case of emergency. Emergencies could range from natural disasters to illness or unemployment. This encouragement stems from one of the Church's guiding welfare principles: self-reliance.
- 72 Hour Emergency Plans
- Food Storage preparation with child canning
- Father having discussion with daughter
- Food Storage - canning jars
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides resources, including a Web site, that teach people how to select the right food and non-food items, as well as how to prepare for emergency situations. Information is also available on long-term food storage.
President Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church, has counseled, “We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.”