News Story

Mormons Fast for Feed Nova Scotia

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently responded to a province-wide campaign by raising over $4,000 to help struggling Nova Scotians make ends meet.

Members of the Church throughout Nova Scotia fasted for two meals during the week of 10 February 2013, and the money they would have spent on food was contributed to those in need. Organizers were pleased that the Valentine’s message of love translated into generous donations.

Sylvia Allred, a leader in the Relief Society, the Church’s organization for women, visited Nova Scotia in 2011 and met prominent members of the community, including Dianne Swinemar, executive director of Feed Nova Scotia. Swinemar explained how several feeding programs had been organized under one Feed Nova Scotia network, incorporating over 150 member agencies across the province.

Church leaders considered what the members could do to help. Nova Scotian Church leader David Evans was already volunteering on a weekly basis by loading trucks with food, so he was able to identify several areas of need.

Fasting for those in need is a regular practice for members of the Church. The Church designates one Sunday each month as a day of fasting (called fast Sunday), in which members are asked to go without food and drink for two consecutive meals, or approximately 24 hours. Members are asked to contribute the money saved from the two meals (called a fast offering) to the Church’s welfare system, which uses the contributions to assist the poor and needy. The fast for Feed Nova Scotia was separate from and in addition to the regular fast Sunday.

Swinemar thanked the Church for its efforts. “The impact of hunger runs deep, and that is why your support is so important. With your help we can continue distributing food to our member agencies across the province so that everyone has access to nutritious food … when they need it most. Thank you for caring enough to be part of this incredibly rewarding process.”

Going forward, Church leaders plan to involve other faith groups in supporting efforts to make a difference to the needy in Nova Scotia. Public Affairs assistant director Anna Davison said, “This was a wonderful experience and relatively easy to do. We have learned so much and look forward to participating on a larger scale next year. We’ve planted the seed; now we’ll watch it grow.”

Style Guide Note:When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online Style Guide.