The days when it was cheaper to make than buy the made-in-China import, when home-bottled fruit could be sold, and basic needs of members couldn’t be met immediately from a general Church warehouse is such a different era.

…but I bet similar projects might happen today in less developed countries, and similar basic needs are going unmet much closer to home than I’m aware of.

Relief Societies were well positioned to take a prominent role in ward welfare efforts. Under the direction of bishops, they appraised the needs of families and then provided dried and preserved fruits and vegetables, clothing, and bedding as needed. For a time, sisters who bottled fruit were asked to give up every tenth jar to the welfare program.

There are also several photographs of groups of Relief Society women in this era that look like they were taken during RS service or work projects.

But there isn’t enough detail to appreciate how the sisters went about it, or who was served, or what was the participation of the recipients of assistance, or how such projects affected their lives. I’m hoping to flesh out DIMK’s hints with stories that help readers better understand — and even have an emotional response to — the Church’s past. If there is value in reading about the history of Relief Society, I think it comes from knowing the stories in enough detail to be inspired to “go and do likewise.”