University-aged members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their friends recently gathered at the Vancouver General Hospital warehouse to sort and package medical supplies for the Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation (KBNF).
The young Mormon volunteers folded towels, paired socks, bagged clothes and boxed up blankets for shipment to one of KBNF’s teaching hospitals in Ghana.
KBNF is a registered charity focused on providing medical support for brain and spinal injuries and diseases to the people of Ghana and West Africa. Founded by Vancouver-based neuroscience nurse Marj Ratel, the foundation works in conjunction with governments and other partners to facilitate specialized medical training and to donate medical equipment and basic hospital supplies to this African region.
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Lindsay Belvedere, a health sciences student attending Simon Fraser University (SFU) and a member of the Church, organized the volunteer event with Christina Chiu, an SFU alumna who had previously organized a similar event.
“Certain things we as Canadians expect when we go to the hospital — such as bed linens, clothing and even food — are not provided by hospitals in many other nations, including those in much of Africa,” said Belvedere. “In nations like Ghana, when someone becomes ill and requires hospital-based care, it is often up to the family to provide basics like sheets, blankets and supplies for their hospitalized loved one.”
Ratel praised the students for their work. “We are so very grateful for the energized efforts of Christina Chiu and her dear friend [Lindsey Belvedere] in organizing this event.”
According to Belvedere, the Latter-day Saint volunteers worked diligently to pack all the medical supplies and enjoyed the opportunity to serve other people. “Assisting KBNF was a reminder to all in attendance that we are God’s children, no matter what country we live in,” she said. “It also helped us to understand that here in Vancouver we are able to impact the lives of those living on the other side of the world.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes in countries all over the world. Projects operate without regard to the religion or nationality of the recipients.