Humanitarian Center

The largest Humanitarian Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are 16 other smaller Humanitarian Centers located worldwide.

The largest item that the Humanitarian Center looks after is shipping clothing to needy people, both Mormons and non-Mormons, worldwide.

The Humanitarian Center is owned and operated by the Mormon Church via Deseret Industries. Businesses and individuals donate clothing and other items to Deseret Industries. The clothing is either new or used. Deseret Industries supplies the clothing to the Humanitarian Center. In January, 2005, the Humanitarian Center shipped 270 tons of clothing from Salt Lake City to locations worldwide. The clothing is sometimes sent to places where natural disasters have occurred.

There are other important items which are handled by the Humanitarian Center. In 2002, the Humanitarian Center shipped 900 tons of medical equipment and medical supplies worldwide. Also in that year, 350,000 hygiene kits, 137,000 school kits and 64,000 newborn baby kits were shipped worldwide. Many of these kits are put together by the Relief Society, the women's organization in the Mormon Church. Also, 1,000 tons of educational materials, such as desks, textbooks and chalkboards were distributed worldwide by the Humanitarian Center.

The Humanitarian Center plays a vital role in the Church Welfare Program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Source: Jim Wall, 2004 Church Almanac, published by Deseret Morning News at Salt Lake City, Utah in 2004-Pages 136 and 137

The above article was written on September 12/2007