In 2007, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a pamphlet titled All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage. They requested that all members have
• a three-month supply of food they eat regularly,
• a supply of drinking water,
• some emergency savings, and
• a long-term supply of food.
This would allow them to care for themselves during difficult times, help neighbors, and support bishops (congregation leaders) as they care for others. This is foundational, basic counsel.
It’s foundational, basic counsel for preparedness in general and foundational, basic counsel for disaster preparedness.
A three-month supply of food naturally has an emergency food supply built into it, foods that require little or no cooking. These would include canned fruit, peanut butter, canned soups, canned chili, canned tuna, canned meat, crackers, quick cooking cereals and grains, juice, and other foods and beverages. (Please reconsider if you rely heavily on your freezer for a 3-month supply. It can be gone in less than a week if there is an extended power outage.)
A supply of drinking water should be at least a 2-week supply of water which is a minimum of 14 gallons per person. This will help when clean, potable water is not available for some reason. Blue water barrels are not required. You can sanitize and fill used beverage containers.
A longer-term food supply will help if damage costs limit how much you can spend on groceries.
Build emergency savings that is equal to 3 to 4 months’ of paychecks. This will help you
• pay insurance deductibles,
• pay for temporary housing, and
• help with other recovery costs.
Home storage helps with everyday living, everyday emergencies, and not-so-everyday disasters. Work toward getting yours.
