News Story about Mormons' Self-reliance

This is a very positive story about how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are "well served by self-reliance in hard times." This article gives an interesting look into the purposes of the Church's welfare program -- to help members become self-reliant and to help the poor and the needy.

For example, dDid you know that

The church...makes its programs available to nonmembers and in particular reaches out to the homeless. The church also works in partnership with other faiths and local social service agencies to share surplus commodities and support services.

In my opinion, a great element of many of the welfare services that the Church provides (such as the Bishop's Storehouse, which is explained in the article) is that

...Mormon church welfare is not a free ride.

Assistance comes with the expectation of reciprocal service, whether it's a few hours of volunteer work on the Square stocking shelves or some other form of service.

The Church also has employment services to help people find jobs, improve their interviewing skills, find scholarships for college, grow their small business, and a range of other things.

One of the things I love about the Church organization is that it is there to help people -- whether Church member or not -- grow and progress and succeed in every aspect of their lives.