FSR Newsroom

A new 570,391-square-foot welfare facility built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will help the organization respond to disasters and take care of those in need. The Bishops’ Central Storehouse, located on 5405 West 300 South in Salt Lake City, is constructed on 35.88 acres and has the capacity to store 65,000 pallets of food and supplies.

Richard Humpherys, manager of the facility, said the building was constructed for a single purpose — “to enable the bishops of the church to meet the needs of the poor and needy.”

The massive structure replaces the previous Bishops’ Central Storehouse, located on 1600 Wallace Road, and was paid for with LDS Church fast offering funds, which are earmarked to help those in need. Ground was broken on the facility May 18, 2010, and construction began in July of that year. The facility, completed Oct. 7, 2011, was dedicated Thursday evening by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the LDS Church’s First Presidency.

Don J. Johnson, Director of Production and Distribution for LDS Welfare Services, likened the facility to the “hub of the wheel” of the church’s vast welfare efforts, which include farms, processing facilities, and local bishops’ storehouses. “It makes it all work,” he said.

The facility also includes Deseret Transportation — which utilizes 43 tractors and 98 trailers and logs about 3.5 million miles per year delivering goods to some 110 church storehouses across the United States and Canada.

Rows and rows of food and supplies fill the storehouse, which includes a bulk storage area, rack storage and 63,000 square feet of freezer and cooler space. The freezer area is maintained at 10 degrees below zero. “In addition, moisture has been taken out of the air so you don’t get ice build up,” Humpherys said.

Whether you belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not it’s a good idea NOT to rely on someone else for your personal food needs. We applaud this church for doing so much in the name of preparedness, and we encourage you to build your own reserves as well.