It is interesting to me that we are now being urged to store a three-month supply of food. Since I live in a fairly small apartment this seems much more manageable. It is something that we can acquire fairly quickly and plan easily. If you are unsure on where to begin you can visit www.providentliving.org. The church provides a basic outline of the types of foods that you should be storing.
In the guidelines for the three-month supply of food, it suggests that you store food that you are used to eating. In reality this would be a good principle to apply to all of your food storage. I know many families who have stored only dehydrated foods, and are now beginning to realize the amount of water that they will need in order to eat the food that they have bought. You can buy dehydrated food to supplement your other storage. For example you can buy the powdered eggs to use in cooking. The dehydrated fruit is good to add to cereal.
In addition to preparing for your family’s physical needs with food and other supplies, are you ready to provide for your family’s emotional needs during a time of a crisis? If you use your food storage to cover a job loss, you and your spouse may be under a lot of stress. Your children might feel that stress as well. It is important to prepare yourself to talk about the situation with your children.
If you end up using your emergency kits for a crisis of some sort, then you should be prepared to talk to your children about that as well. You will be surprised at how much your child will remember, and how many questions she may have. I was four, when a nearby park was evacuated due to flooding. I still remember the announcement and being escorted from the park by a policeman. If you talk to your children about what is happening you can dispel a lot of fear.
Don’t forget to include scriptures in your emergency kits. These can bring you comfort in a time of great stress. You can also talk to your local church leaders to learn any additional resources available to you in regards to food storage. You may live near a cannery or be able to participate in buying food in bulk with your ward.
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New Pamphlets at www.providentliving.org
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