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SALT LAKE CITY — Welfare and humanitarian work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just got a boost with a new 570,000 square foot Bishop's Central Storehouse at 5405 W. 300 South.
The state-of-the-art, energy efficient site stretches over 36 acres. During a media tour Thursday, managers pointed out that in addition to the storehouse, the building includes the new headquarters for Deseret Transporation, space for offices, a tire storage building and fire pump house.
"The commodities that are in this facility are shipped worldwide," said Richard Humphries, manager of the new store house. "We have 110 storehouses in the United States and Canada, 100 home storage centers; and then internationally we have shipped before into about 165 different countries."
- In 2010 the Church provided relief to people affected by 119 disasters in 58 countries.
- Over 7.5 million people now have access to clean water because of Church efforts from 2002 through 2010.
- Since 2002, the Church has trained over 193,000 health care workers in neonatal life-saving techniques.
- Since 2003, over 550,000 people have benefitted from Church vision projects throughout the world.
- Since 2002, over 415,000 people have received a wheelchair from the Church.
- Since 2002, almost 40,000 people have become self-reliant through the Church's food production program.
Picking and replenishing happens at the same time. Items are taken from lower levels and replaced from top shelf.
The storehouse operates with three temperature zones: bulk items that don't need cooling in the main room; potatoes, apples and dairy in the refrigerated staging dock; and meat in the freezer. Those who work in the colder areas wear heavy clothing and don't stay long.
"You can't see your breath," Humphries pointed out while walking through the freezer area. "They've taken the moisture out of the air so you don't get any ice buildup."
There's also an empty space that will hold emergency response supplies — tents, tarps, sleeping bags, first aid kits, food and water — that will help out during the many natural disasters the Church responds to.
As Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast in August 2005, LDS Church leaders and storehouse managers had supply trucks poised in a semi-circle from Texas to South Carolina. "As soon as that hurricane hit in the New Orleans area, then all those trucks headed immediately for that area; and they were there within 24 hours," Humphries said.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, will lead dedicatory services Thursday evening. Every guest in attendance will receive a bag that includes a loaf of bread, a pound of cheese and peanut butter to help them remember happens at the storehouse.
