Our family was able to visit Welfare Square in Salt Lake city. The experience helped us realize how our small contribution is pushing forward a cause that is so GREAT.
We are standing in front of the wet pack cannery display. These are the foods they offer in the wet pack. We opened the door to this building and the smell of apples came billowing out. It was neat. This is where they can the food for humanitarian aid, personal use, and the bishop's store house.
This is just outside a classroom where members of the community are taught how to use the dry pack cannery foods in their home kitchens. We are using a hand crank wheat grinder, that is very easy to use. And the missionary who gave us the tour.
This is in the dairy building. They have their own dairy farm which ships milk here daily. It produces milk, choc. milk, cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese. They work until the quota of the day is filled. They don't work a set number of hours. This is the tasting area.
Home made bread, jam, butter, honey all produced right here at welfare square.
These are the grain silohs that are a land mark sight for the square. It is the oldest structure on welfare square. They hold 16 mil. (tons or pounds, we can't recall which - a LOT either way) of grain and are full. The grain is rotated every 4-5 years. The grain that is taken out is either sold, or sent to out with the humanitarian aid. The money made on the grain is also used for humanitarian aid.
The only time these were completely emptied to help the needy was during WWII, and was sent to the troups fighting in the war.
This is hmmm, just what it looks like. Not an Exit. (lemeee out)
This is the bakery where they make 3,000 loaves of bread daily. There are 2 full time employees, 1 part time, and 18 volunteers to keep it running. They work until the quota is filled.
This is also in the bishop's store house, which includes a storehouse that is about the size of 1 set of isles at costco, filled with food. No upc codes on the cans, just available through the bishops. They also had new coats of all sizes for people using this facility, and bolts of fabric for those who can sew what is needed.
This is the kit that was shipped to the hurricane katrina victims. This is enough food to keep a family of 4 fed for 1 week. It all fits in the box in the back of the stack. The only thing not made by the church is the tunafish stacked in a pyramid in the front, because it is less expensive to buy than to can. There were even cajun flavors in these packs, and we are told area tastes are considered when these kits are made- another level of true compassion.
The black bucket on the left there is an example of the well known sanitary kits for personal and home hygine - VERY apriciated by those who used them as everything was contaminated following the flood.
This is a poster of the effective effort the church is making in Ethiopia, a nutritious mix of things like oat flour, milk, and honey. We saw a picture of a 8 year old girl that weighed 20lbs. when she bagan taking this product and 6mos. later she looked normal, happy, and healthy. it is saving lives - true Christian service.
There is a DI on the square and all the clothing and goods that are donated are sorted through into to piles, so to speak. 80% of the best stuff is shipped to those in need around the world, and the rest is sold to the public in a store type setting. The profits from the sales are put back into the network to help those in need.
They had an employment center in the square, this is a picture of the employment centers around the world (every dot is one) to help either improve your employment or to start your employment. Back when the internet market went downhill, there were quite a few corporate/professional workers that were layed off. They came to this center and received help to find new employment, including improving their skills so they could find better employment.
This is the after. Man, she looks so so cute! It's bright and beautiful!
This is Autumn's, she never wants hers cut. And I think she is right also. So we just trimmed it up.
This is the after, just a good trimmin'
And this is the after of Spencer! I did it a little shorter than I wanted, and it's going to take some getting use to. Mark came home and liked it VERY much! so handsome, it makes his facial expressions pop out at you instead of being hidden by his hair.
