Bishops' Storehouses

Introduction

Congratulations on your opportunity to serve in a bishops’ storehouse! Whether you are a missionary, volunteer, or member of an agent stake operating committee, the following information will introduce you to your basic responsibilities.

Purpose

Bishops' storehouses distribute commodities to the poor and needy as requested by bishops on a Bishop's Order for Commodities form (referred to as a bishop's order). Bishops' storehouses also provide meaningful service opportunities for those receiving assistance and for those desiring to serve missions or to volunteer.

Missionaries assigned as storehouse managers run the day-to-day operations of the storehouse so that bishops can care for the poor and needy through the use of bishop's orders.

Key Activities

The activities of those who serve in a bishops’ storehouse include the following:

Help patrons fill bishop's orders.
Order, purchase, and receive goods.
Manage inventories.
Deliver bishop's orders by truck (where authorized by Welfare Services).

Key Measures

The following principles are used to help measure the success of the storehouse:

Patrons and volunteers feel uplifted by their experiences in the storehouse.
The storehouse has sufficient volunteer labor and hours of operation to meet patron needs.
Inventory is managed to fill bishop's orders and avoid waste.
The facility meets safety, sanitation, cleanliness, and maintenance standards.
The storehouse's operations adhere to requirements specified in finance, operational, and safety reviews and audits.
New missionaries and volunteers are trained in a timely manner.

Leadership

Agent Stake Operating Committee

Each bishops' storehouse is supported by an agent stake operating committee chaired by the agent stake president. The manager of the bishops' storehouse serves on this committee. Other members of the committee are the chairman of the stake bishops’ welfare council and the stake Relief Society president.

The agent stake operating committee should meet regularly (preferably quarterly) to provide priesthood guidance and support to the storehouse.

The committee is responsible to:

Ensure that the storehouse serves needy members appropriately.
Arrange for senior service missionaries to serve in the storehouse.
Arrange for needed volunteer labor.
Ensure that the facility is properly maintained.
Represent the storehouse in coordinating council meetings.
Help Church leaders understand how to use the storehouse effectively.

Field Manager or Area Welfare Manager