One hundred percent of the donations given to the Church humanitarian service fund goes toward relief efforts. This enables the Church to be prepared to help members and others in the event of a disaster.
"The Church does not wait for a disaster to strike before it mobilizes pallets of clothing, blankets, food, medicine, bandages, cleaning kits, shovels, and tarps, which are always being prepared for the next earthquake, flood, famine, or fire," President Uchtdorf said. "Over the last 25 years the Church has responded to almost two thousand emergencies worldwide."
He also explained that the Church has learned that humanitarian efforts are most effective when they are focused on long-term goals. The humanitarian effort now has core projects—aside from emergency response—to assist in eye care; to provide wheelchairs, clean water, and immunizations; and to train medical professionals to save the lives of newborns.
"As the Church goes about relieving suffering and helping those in need," President Uchtdorf continued, "it attempts to leave the people in a better position to help themselves so that they are less dependent on others."