New Provident Living Challenge

Provident Living Challenges:
Do one of these by the December evening Relief Society meeting and get a prize!

1) Increase your water storage by at least 10 gallons. This can be purchased water, or tap water stored in empty washed juice bottles or soda pop bottles. (Providentliving.org says chlorinated tap water does not require additional treatment for safe storage.)





2) With your family, make plans for heating your home in the event of an ice storm and power outage. (Will you stay with another family, do you have a non-electric heater, do you have a fireplace or gas log, do you have sleeping bags rated for below 30 degrees?)





Our ward Relief Society President wanted to discontinue the old "Staying Alive with $25", so we are starting something new. We want to encourage our ward members to prepare for any disaster, or any unpleasant situation.

We will be giving at least two challenges per month, and they will not necessarily be easy. Preparedness is important, and you owe it to your family to get some of these things accomplished.

Here are some things to think about:

Water storage is your very first step in preparedness. You can only live without water for a few days, but you can live without food for longer. Water is inexpensive, (almost free if you use tap water.) The challenge for this month is to acquire at least 10 more gallons of water.

You may be complaining, "Why is she asking us to store that much?" Quit whining, that is not very much water.

When I went on the 7-day challenge, I, myself, used 3 gallons per day. On each of those days when I pretended to have no water, I did not take a shower or wash my hair, I did no laundry, and I hardly flushed the toilet. I promise you, you will be thankful for every single drop of water you have stored when a disaster comes.

I believe every one in our ward could save 10 gallons this month AT NO COST if you would save every large plastic container that gets emptied, and instead of throwing it away, wash it out and put water in it and hide it in a closet. IMPORTANT: If you are washing out containers in which to store the water, remember that only food-grade containers can be used for drinking water. But you can also save other heavy duty plastic jugs and containers, such as detergent bottles, and write really big, "Water For Washing Only" on those. Remember that you will need water for washing, and that water can have a little soap residue in it.


Ice storms and power outages are very common in our area. November is a great time to be planning for what you will do. Did you know that if you have no heat, you can set up a tent in your living room and sleep in sleeping bags, and the temperature in the tent will be much higher than in the rest of the house? If you have a gas log or fire place, make plans for how you will isolate that room from the rest of the house, to keep the heat contained. Maybe you can shut some doors. Or if you have an open floor plan, can you nail some blankets around the stairwell so the heat won't go up the stairs?

Good luck! I hope everyone succeeds.