Church Welfare and Self-Reliance Facilities in Salt Lake City
To support these efforts, the Church established three major facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah: Welfare Square, the Humanitarian Center, and the Bishops’ Central Storehouse.
Explore Church Welfare Facilities
Welfare Square and the Humanitarian Center conduct public tours to give behind-the-scenes looks at what it takes to care for our neighbors—and how you can be part of everyday humanitarian work.
Learn more about each facility, its history, and tour details below.
Church Welfare Frequently Asked Questions
Who does the Church’s Salt Lake City facilities care for?
While the Church has other welfare support structures across the world, the ones in Salt Lake City, Utah, are regionally focused and connect to the wider distribution of welfare and humanitarian goods across North America. These facilities care for members of the Church, people who are not part of our faith, and those who do not have any faith, regardless of background, nationality, and belief.
All welfare facilities of the Church are possible thanks to members of the Church who follow the Savior’s command and love and serve others, whether through volunteerism, fast offerings, and donations.
How much does the Church spend on welfare?
To see how much the Church spent on caring for those in need in the last year, explore the Caring for Those in Need Report. This report includes a breakdown of these expenditures, which includes:
- Aid offered generally through global humanitarian projects and donations of food and other goods.
- Aid offered primarily to Church members, such as fast-offering assistance, bishops’ orders, and Church welfare and self-reliance resources and services.
Is the Church a humanitarian organization?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not solely a humanitarian organization. Rather, it is a religious community of people striving the follow Jesus Christ, who commanded, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). For members of the Church, caring for others is both a sacred responsibility and a source of deep joy as they seek to follow the example of the Savior through loving service.
Guided by this commitment, the Church—through both individual members and organized efforts—actively engages in welfare service, self-reliance support, and humanitarian work around the world. These efforts are intended to help meet the needs of individuals and families, regardless of background, nationality, or belief. In some countries or territories, the Church may also operate under a specific humanitarian organizations designation to further this work of caring for those in need.