Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center
Who we are
Like DI stores, the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center serves as an employment training facility and is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
At the Humanitarian Center, employees—known as associates—process excess clothing from Deseret Industries stores for humanitarian aid and recycling.
The center is also used to prepare and distribute charitable kits for needs related to hygiene, education, cleaning, maternal and newborn care.
Like DI, the Humanitarian Center is a job training facility.
Associates learn on-the-job skills including food service, production, forklift operation, custodial, and maintenance.
History of the Humanitarian Center
The Humanitarian Center was established in Salt Lake City in 1991 to:
-
Prepare charitable and donated supplies for needs across the world.
-
Serve as a job training facility for people in need of employment skills.
The Humanitarian Center has since expanded to include recycling efforts. As the purpose of the center has evolved, the principles of caring for those in need, fostering self-reliance, and encouraging service have remained constant.
Job training
The Humanitarian Center serves as a training ground to help people develop employable skills and learn self-reliance. Associates are enrolled in the same job training program used at Deseret Industries stores and Deseret Manufacturing.
On-the-job training
Although the work responsibilities and assignments differ from those at DI, the focus on training and development is the same. The program prepares associates to find better employment opportunities by teaching both soft and hard skills.
Through the job training program, associates can:
-
Develop important workplace behaviors such as dependability, professionalism, and teamwork.
-
Learn on-the-job skills, including production, forklift operation, food service, custodial, and maintenance.
-
Enroll in job certification programs for specific trades.
The Ready for Work program prepares associates for future employment opportunities.
Associates have the option to participate in an internal English program for half of their paid shift.
English learning
The training program at the Humanitarian Center has a unique focus on helping associates learn English, making it an ideal workplace for immigrants and those displaced from their home countries. At any given time, associates come from over 25 countries and speak up to 35 different languages. Many associates speak limited English, and some are educated professionals who must learn the language before they are able to obtain a position in their field of choice.
To help with English-related needs, associates are given the unique opportunity to participate in an optional internal English program for half of their paid working shift.
Wellness group
Associates also have the unique opportunity to participate in the Humanitarian Center’s wellness group—a seven-week course that focuses on stress management. The purpose of the group is to help participants:
-
Identify their individual key stressors.
-
Practice and incorporate calming activities.
-
Normalize stress response through psychoeducation.
-
Learn various coping skills to manage stress.
The wellness group was established as a free resource for associates needing emotional support, many of whom have experienced trauma after being displaced from their homes and countries.
The Humanitarian Center offers training and resources to help associates create better lives for themselves.
Associates learn important workplace behaviors including teamwork, productivity, and dependability.
Environmental sustainability
Deseret Industries is committed to keeping items out of landfills, which is why surplus donations from DI stores are sent to the Humanitarian Center. These materials are sorted, processed, and:
-
Distributed for humanitarian aid.
-
Sold to other recycling buyers.
-
Recycled when unusable.
The proceeds from selling items are put back into the job training program to help pay associate wages and cover the cost of training.
Global impact of the work
The work done at the Humanitarian Center impacts more than 50 countries and aids people of all religions and nationalities. Each year, millions of items are shipped to help people suffering from adversity and disaster around the world. This includes approximately:
- 300,000 hygiene and school kits
- 12,000 quilts
- 8 million pounds of shoes and clothing
With the help of the Humanitarian Center, the DI system also recycled more than 75 million pounds of goods in 2023.
The work done at the Humanitarian Center impacts hundreds of thousands of people each year.
Tour the Humanitarian Center
Guided tours are offered at the Humanitarian Center Monday through Friday, on the hour, from 10:00am until 3:00pm and last about 45 minutes. Call 801-240-3585 to schedule a visit.
Humanitarian Center Location: 1665 South Bennett Road Salt Lake City, Utah 84104
