Teenager and Food Storage- New Era, Nov. 1984

New Era » 1984 » November

“We are often told to start a food storage program. The prophets have counseled us about this for a long time. What can I as a teenager do to prepare myself and to help my family prepare?”


James B. Holm, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Nov. 1984, 16–17

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A teenager can play an important part in a family food storage program. Consider these ideas:

1. Understand your family food storage program, its goals and time frame. If you do not understand it well, request a family home evening on food storage. Offer to prepare the lesson and request that your parents share their food storage goals, or as a family set goals and methods to reach those goals. Encourage family members to work towards family food storage goals.

2. Be willing to try new foods that have been prepared using key ingredients found in your food storage. Learn to like a variety of foods. Try using wheat, powdered milk, or other food storage ingredients in new recipes, such as those recipes found in the Church publication Essentials of Home Production and Storage (PGWE 1125).

3. Help with a family garden. Offer to take over part of it. Do more than your share of weeding without being asked. Help in the planning, preparation of soil, planting, weeding, and watering, and in the joy of harvesting and eating.

4. Help prepare food for storage. Help pick the fruits and vegetables. Help with the canning, freezing, drying, or pickling of the produce.

5. Take classes in high school on nutrition and preparation of food. Learn how to comparison shop, the times of year when particular produce is cheaper and more available, and alternative methods of storing and preserving.

6. Realize the purpose of a food storage program. Yes, we are preparing for the great disasters that have been foretold for the last days. However, each family meets financial crises at one time or another. Perhaps the breadwinner becomes unemployed or disabled. A physical illness or tragedy may strike. ......

7. At some point begin your own food storage program. As you plan to marry or to live on your own, it would be wise to begin storing food. It does not need to be complicated nor require a lot of money. Simply begin to store what you eat and eat what you store. Plan your menus for a week and double the food purchased for one day, placing it in your storage. In two months you will have food stored for at least a week. Buy staples in larger quantities. Preserve food when it is cheaper, stock up on sales, and ask Heavenly Father to help you.

Obtain the booklet Essentials of Home Production and Storage. Study it and follow the inspired guidelines contained therein. Begin storing basic, life-sustaining foods that will store over long periods of time. Expand your storage to include a variety of goods that you and your family enjoy and are used to eating, as your situation will allow. Keep nutritional needs in mind as you expand your storage and plan for any particular dietary needs due to diabetes or allergies, etc.

FHE- Emergency Prep Scavenger Hunt

Ensign » 2002 » September

Random Sampler

Emergency Preparedness Game-
Windy L. Hasson, “Emergency Preparedness Game,” Ensign, Sept. 2002, 73

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To involve everyone and make preparing for an emergency seem fun instead of daunting or upsetting, we decided to have a scavenger hunt as part of family home evening. Together we could gather items for an emergency preparedness kit. Considering family members’ individual needs, I made a list of supplies for our search. For starters, the baby would need a bottle, formula, and diapers, while my husband would need sturdy clothes and work gloves. I also found ideas from information I had saved from Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment lessons.

At the start of our family night, we discussed possible natural disaster situations and the importance of being prepared so we don’t have to be afraid (see D&C 38:30). After our discussion, we divided our family into teams and gave each group an empty laundry basket and part of our list. Then we had our scavenger hunt throughout the house, collecting the needed supplies.

The children had a great time gathering the items and choosing which clothing to include. Within an hour, we had items for a complete emergency kit—tailored for our family’s needs. What once had seemed an overwhelming task became a fun activity for our family, and we now feel better prepared should an emergency arise.—Windy L. Hasson, Celeste Ward, Las Vegas Nevada Sandstone Stake

The Church offers helpful suggestions for preparing emergency supplies in a booklet titled Essentials of Home Production and Storage (item no. 32288; U.S. $.75), available in distribution centers. Regarding emergency storage, the booklet advises everyone to have portable containers with the following: water; food requiring no refrigeration or cooking; medications and critical medical histories as needed; change of clothing, including sturdy shoes and two pairs of socks; sanitary supplies; first aid booklet and equipment; candles; waterproof matches; ax; shovel; can opener; and blankets (see p. 7). The booklet also recommends preparing a portable packet with valuable family documents, such as family history records.

Report on Youth's Emergency Prep Activity- Part 2

This is Part 2:  On October 19, 2010 our ward youth had an Emergency Preparedness drill in three homes, as their joint activity.  (Family #1-Anonymous, Family #2- Blake and Amelia, and Family #3-Mike and Mitzi.)  

The youth split up into teams with their leaders and visited the homes, and gave each family the following tasks.  The groups earned points according to what tasks they could complete.

Example: "The oil on the stove catches fire.  What do you do?

Earn points: 1 pt for finding the baking soda

1 pt for putting a lid on the pan

1 pt for finding the fire extinguisher

1 pt for each child meeting outside at a pre-determined meeting spot

1 pt for each child knowing how to call 911

Family #1- Our kids did NOT know what to do when oil caught fire, so the Young Men explained what to do.  Our kids remembered our family meeting spot, it is the court in front of the house.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia: We have a fire extinguisher.

Family #3-Mike and Mitzi: We got out the baking soda, we need to get a fire extinguisher, and our kids knew to go to the neighbor’s mailbox.

Example:  Your vehicle is stalled on the freeway on a very hot day, or you are stuck in your car somewhere in an ice storm.

Earn points: 1 pt for having a blanket in trunk.

1 pt for having any food in the car.

1 pt for having any water in the car.

1 pt for having flares, or cell phone, or paper/marker to write on in the car (to let passersby know you are in trouble)

Family #2-Blake and Amelia: We had water in the car, and we scrounged all the goldfish that had fallen on the floor.

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi:  When I’m pregnant I always keep food in the car, and a case of bottled water.  I keep blankets in there, and crayons and coloring books.

Example:  There is a nuclear disaster at the Shearon-Harris Nuclear Power Plant.

Earn points: 1 pt for knowing which way to evacuate.

5 pts for each 72 hour kit you can grab.

1 pt for having a predetermined way to meet spouse away from home.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia:  We don’t have our 72 hour kits ready, but I have our important papers together.

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi:  We didn’t know which direction to go.  We have one 72-hr-kit.  Now we have decided to meet at a relative’s house in Virginia.

Example:  A tornado is reported coming straight for your house.

Earn points: 2 pts for each family member to all huddle in a safe place, interior bathroom or closet, or basement or crawlspace.

5 pts for owning a weather alert radio.

Family #1- We huddled in a safe place, in an interior bathroom.

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi: We huddled in our big food storage closet under the stairs.

Example:  The water supply has failed.  There is no running water.

Earn points: 5 pt to  flush a toilet with stored water.

5 pts if you own (and can find) your water filter or water purification tablets or bleach.

5 pts if you own 100 or more paper plates or paper cups.

Family #1- We need to improve our water supply.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia: We have a water filter and purification tablets.  We have lots of drinking water.

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi: We have water in the garage.  We have bleach, and paper cups and plates.

Example:  Your child cuts his leg very badly.

Earn points: 1 pt for finding your first aid kit.

1 pt for having a large bandage.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia:  We have a duffle bag full of first aid.  He could do IV’s, he can staple heads or glue heads, and he even has a baby-catching kit.

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi: We have a first aid kit.

Example:  Your house catches fire at night while you are sleeping.

Earn points: 5 pts for testing an alarm by holding a match nearby, making the alarm sound.

5 pts for every upstairs bedroom that has an emergency ladder.

1 pt for every person that meets at the predetermined meeting place outside your house.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia:  Our kids knew to meet at our predetermined spot.

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi: The kids loved the alarm, wanted us to do it again.  We don’t have a ladder, the kids knew where to meet.

Good job to everyone.  This was a good emergency drill, and taught the kids and the adults a lot.

Report on Youth's Emergency Prep Activity- Part 1

On October 19, 2010 our ward youth had an Emergency Preparedness drill in three homes, as their joint activity.  (Family #1-Anonymous, Family #2- Blake and Amelia, and Family #3-Mike and Mitzi.)  Sorry it has taken me so long to post this.

The youth split up into teams with their leaders and visited the homes, and gave each family the following tasks.  The groups earned points according to what tasks they could complete.

Example:  “There was a major hurricane 9 days ago.  You are still without power.  

Task #1- Find every working flashlight or lantern or candle.

Earn points:  1 pt for every working flashlight or candle.

10 pts for lighting a lantern that has a mantle.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia: We have lots of candles, more than I realized.

Task #2- Boil water without using electricity.

Earn points: 1 pt for finding matches or a lighter

1 pt for finding a camping grill or camping stove

1 pt for finding a coffepot or pot with a lid.

1 pt for having fuel (propane or charcoal, etc.)

10 pts for boiling water.

Family #1- Our kids knew where to find the candles.  We have a propane grill that we could use to boil water.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia: We have a gas kitchen stove, a camping stove, and propane for a lantern and for our camping stove.

Family #3-Mike and Mitzi: We have plenty of candles, we have a battery-powered lantern and batteries, and we highly recommend buying headlamp flashlights, if you wear one you still have two hands available.  We have a propane gas grill outside.

Task #3- You need to get information, and you need to go places.  There is no electricity, and gas pumps are not working.

EARN POINTS: 1 pt if you can get the news from a battery or solar powered radio or TV.

1 pt if your cell phone has more than 3/4 charge.

1 pt if you have a cord phone which doesn’t use electricity.

1 pt if your car has at least half a tank of gas.  

Family #2- Blake and Amelia:  We have a battery radio, and our cell phones were more than 3/4 charged.

Family #3-Mike and Mitzi: We have a wind-up radio that has a radio, flashlight, and cell phone charger.  We have an old phone that isn’t cordless.  Our car had more than 1/2 tank of gas.

Example:  Because of extreme weather, there are no stores open for several weeks, and no electricity.  All your fridge/freezer food is gone.  Find complete  shelf-stable meals that you could fix.  You must have ALL the ingredients.

Earn points: 5 pts for each shelf-stable main dish you can pull from your cupboards, (up to 5)

5 pts for each shelf-stable dessert you can pull from your cupboards (up to 5)

5 pts for each shelf-stable breakfast you can pull from your cupboards (up to 5)

Family #3- Mike and Mitzi: We have lots of mac and cheese and powdered milk and canned milk.

Example:  You have had no electricity for a week.  Your children have all wet their beds, there are no more clean sheets.  

Earn points: 10 pts to handwash a bedsheet in a bucket or sink.

10 pts if you can use only stored water.

5 pts if you can find a place to hang it to dry.

Family #2- Blake and Amelia: We need to get a lot more water for washing.

"Power Out Night"

Nickey H., a member of our ward, told me about “Power Out Night” at their house.

The kids love it, they ask “When is the next Power Out Night?.”

Nickey explained it this way:
“I try not to do anything ahead of time, that way it is a test for my husband and I as well as for the kids. I’ll just say okay, and turn off all the lights and the air conditioner. Then we all have to try to find the candles, and try to go until the next morning without electricity. We’ve probably done it five times at least. “

What has been their biggest failure?

“I want it to be like a real emergency, so I don’t test things ahead of time . One time I got everything out for dinner, my husband went outside to grill it and our propane tank was empty. I think we ended up having cold sandwiches and Danimals yogurt drink.”

What went well?

“We spent the whole night playing games by candle light. Then we all camped out in living room, it was summer, so downstairs was the coolest part of the house.”

When we did it in the winter, we had a fireplace, and roasted hot dogs in the fireplace.”



What have you learned that you can share with us?

“Once our flashlight exploded. The batteries had all gone bad inside it. We learned not to leave batteries inside the flashlights, now we tape a ziploc bag containing batteries to the outside of each flashlight.”

“We also learned to let the kids play outside until it is truly dark, because they need to get their wiggles out, and they won’t be able to run around inside the house later, its too dark. We had to teach them not to run in the dark house, you can’t see where you’re going.”

“We had to review candle safety, because we had to leave a candle burning in the bathroom overnight. Now we wouldn’t use a candle, we would put a glowstick in there.”

“Also, I try to check the weather first, I make sure its not going to be an incredibly hot day so we don’t suffer too much with the air conditioner off.”