St. George • When it comes to celebrating America’s independence, food and loving one’s neighbor rank right up there with mom, the flag and apple pie.

That was the message Thursday as dignitaries and well-wishers gathered to celebrate The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ donation of a semitruck-load of 20,000 pounds of food to Switchpoint’s food pantry in St. George.

Quoting from George Washington’s remarks about religion and morality being “indispensable supports” for political prosperity, St. George Mayor Jimmie Hughes called the faith’s donation “deeply and uniquely American.”

“Here we are celebrating [those] two things coming together,” Hughes said, lauding Utah’s predominant faith for its generosity and example of Christian charity.

Sticking with the patriotic theme, Washington County Commissioner Victor Iverson noted the fireworks and celebration of the U.S. victory over Great Britain in Yorktown during the American Revolution was preceded by the poverty and starvation of American troops at Valley Forge.

“What saved them was the compassion of farmers and shopkeepers and people from around that area who brought food to sustain them [at Valley Forge] … so they were able to be there at Yorktown,” he said, adding that caring and showing compassion for others remains a civic and sacred responsibility.

There were no fireworks at Thursday’s event, but there was some fanfare. The large-scale donation is one of the church’s endeavors to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. The delivery to the St. George pantry marked the launch of the initiative in southern Utah and is one of 250 donations the church is sending to food banks in all 50 states in 2026 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Financed primarily by donations from Latter-day Saints, the dry food sent to each location includes items with a long shelf life such as canned fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as pasta, flour, pancake mix and dried milk.

Kacey Jones, the church’s regional communications director, said the delivery is aimed at following Jesus’ example of love and service by “feeding the hungry, lifting the brokenhearted and providing Christlike service.”

All told, the church’s contribution will enable Switchpoint and its largely volunteer staff to distribute 15,000 meals to the 9,000 people suffering from insecurity who frequent the pantry at 932 S. 250 West in St. George each month.

Carol Hollowell, CEO and founder of the nonprofit, said the donation comes none too soon, especially given the recent spike in senior citizens needing food assistance due to inflation. Alas, she lamented, there has not been a corresponding increase in donations.

“We’ve had to cut the amount of food that we give to families by almost 20%,” Hollowell said. “I hope the church’s generosity will inspire our own communities to donate and volunteer more.”

Switchpoint is one of Utah’s leading homeless service providers. Community members wishing to volunteer or donate can visit switchpoint.org.