“In collaboration with America 250’s ‘America Gives’ initiative, The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, by mid-2026, delivered more than a hundred truckloads of food each to faith groups, nonprofits, and community groups across the country,” Steven Roberts said.

Roberts is the manager of fleet operations for Deseret Transportation, the private fleet of the Church of Jesus Christ, and a member of the NPTC Board of Directors. “Deseret” derives from the Book of Mormon and means honeybee, a symbol of hard work, industry, and cooperative spirit in the community.

A Brigham Young University-trained chemical engineer and MBA graduate, Roberts attended the council’s Private Fleet Management Institute (PFMI), earned his Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) designation through NPTC, is a PFMI faculty member, and is a frequent speaker at the council’s annual conference and national safety conference.

“The Church has pledged to distribute 250 truckloads with a total of nine to 10 million pounds of food to 250 food banks across the United States throughout 2026,” Roberts said.

Deseret Transportation’s private fleet supports nationwide food deliveries

America250 is the primary nonpartisan organization authorized by Congress to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and to recognize the freedoms established by the Declaration and the Constitution.

“The Church’s special food donation effort as part of America250 pays tribute to the freedoms and rights identified in the Declaration and the U.S. Constitution. The freedoms have allowed all faiths, including ours, to prosper,” Roberts said.

“Our humanitarian aid efforts emulate the teachings of Christ to care for the needy and to recognize the universality of God’s children by reaching out to all people regardless of their circumstances or beliefs," he continued.

“We have trucks going out every day to food banks and community organizations of all faiths and backgrounds," Roberts said. "Food insecurity is always a problem for the less fortunate and more vulnerable, but worsening for many people and communities due to inflation and the higher food costs.”

Deseret Transportation’s private fleet is a regional operation using a “hub-and-spoke” system. The fleet consists of 45 tractors; 140 trailers, including 10 with specially wrapped indicia promoting JustServe; and around 40 full-time employee drivers.

“This makes it easier for us to find drivers because we offer more home time during the week and more weekends at home with their families,” Roberts added.

The fleet does not run on Sunday. All drivers are members of the Church and spiritually aligned with the welfare mission to assist people. About 85% of the Church’s freight is handled by the private fleet, and 10%-15% of loads are outsourced.

Fleet operations balance service goals with logistics efficiency

Beyond donated food and delivery trucks, the Church counts on thousands of volunteers. JustServe, which the Church sponsors, is collaborating with America250's America Gives initiative to make 2026 a record-setting year of volunteer service. 

JustServe is a community service platform that connects volunteers with local organizations to help meet community needs and build unity through service. In just the first quarter of 2026, JustServe-related America250 efforts engaged 151,593 volunteers, generated 477,349 volunteer hours, and resulted in 22,085 new JustServe registrations.

“Each delivery across the country has been met with excitement, not only for what it contains and how it will help families and individuals in need but also for how it brings a community together,” said Elder Matthew S. Holland, executive director of the Church’s communication department.

Holland added, “The America250 America Gives initiative, which aims to make 2026 a year of unprecedented service, is a chance for individuals to work together and care for their neighbor. We all long for unity of purpose, regardless of our differences, and we can always, no matter our differences, unite in service. The opportunities for that service are unlimited.”

“In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Church’s vision is that serving together, relieving the hunger of others in need, binds us together as communities, as a nation, and as God’s children. It also brings us personal joy," Holland said.

The Church of Jesus Christ produces much of what it donates. It owns a flour mill, canneries, ranches, orchards, processing plants, warehouses, grain elevators, and farms. The focus is mainly on staples such as fruit, vegetables, grains, turkey, beef, and milk. Not produced by the Church are chickens, cooking oil, tuna fish, toothbrushes, razor blades, and similar products, which are outsourced.

While most of the private fleet deliveries are sent to the Church’s Bishops’ storehouses at locations across 45 states, distribution to other charitable organizations has increased substantially in recent years, according to Roberts.

“In 2025, the Church donated $1.58 billion in humanitarian aid and 7.4 million hours of volunteer service worldwide. Being engaged in the America250 initiative is a part of the Church’s broader global outreach of giving to those in need and serving the children of God," Roberts said.