Sister Barb Lefler of the Pittsburgh 2nd Ward makes the following suggestion to help promote menu-driven orders from the bishops' storehouse:
One idea to make this easier on the family and to assist the Relief Society presidents teach the menu concept is to have a few Deseret Recipes cook books on hand. Most of the recipes can be made from storehouse food. That way there is a baseline of ideas to menu creation.
Great idea, Sister Lefler!
Deseret Recipes is available from the Church Distribution Center.
Showing posts with label bishops' storehouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bishops' storehouse. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
"Charities struggle to stock pantries"
"Demand is so great, some food banks turn people away." So reported the December 5-11 issue of the Pittsburgh Business Times. Continuing, the article reported, "The number of people seeking food handouts in western Pennsylvania is up sharply in recent months." Stake and district presidents can respond to such needs by requesting humanitarian food orders of up to $1,000 from the bishops' storehouse. Priesthood and Relief Society leaders will want to be alert to needs for food in their communities that the Church can help to meet. The Lord has blessed the Church abundantly, making it possible for us to share with those who are not as fortunate.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Menu-driven Bishop's Orders
Following is a "best practice" recommendation from Elder and Sister Reed, our area welfare specialists, who have now toured and inspected bishops' storehouses throughout the East Coast of the U.S. Following Elder and Sister Reed's recommendation will help those who receive assistance from the bishops' storehouse to become more self-reliant, which is one of the important goals of the Lord's welfare program.
"We know that Bishops and Relief Society Presidents are busy and that orders are frequently given less attention than they deserve. These are sacred funds, after all. The most elegant solution is the menu-driven Bishop’s Commodity Order. We have never seen a menu driven order that was unreasonable. Relief Society Presidents should see that patrons are taught how to do a menu and ask for a menu for every food order. Bishops should require a menu be attached to every order they sign."
"We know that Bishops and Relief Society Presidents are busy and that orders are frequently given less attention than they deserve. These are sacred funds, after all. The most elegant solution is the menu-driven Bishop’s Commodity Order. We have never seen a menu driven order that was unreasonable. Relief Society Presidents should see that patrons are taught how to do a menu and ask for a menu for every food order. Bishops should require a menu be attached to every order they sign."
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Working with the Bishops' Storehouse
Elder and Sister Bublik, outgoing managers of the Brecksville OH Bishops' Storehouse, gave an excellent presentation to bishops and Relief Society presidents tonight on working effectively with the storehouse. Following are a few notes from the meeting, though I can't begin to reproduce the spirit of the meeting.
Elder and Sister Beaudin will begin serving as the new storehouse managers in early November.
1. Work Assignments
As in past years, assignments for our region will be in the summer months. Wards and branches should assign at least four individuals to work. Assignments begin at 9 A.M., though the managers recognize that due to the long distances involved our people may arrive a bit late. The goal is to end by 2 P.M., but the ending time is determined by when the work gets done. The storehouse serves lunch to workers, from the food products the storehouse supplies.
An assignment to work in the storehouse is a great teaching and learning opportunity. Ideal candidates to serve are priesthood and Relief Society leaders who will benefit by understanding the workings of the storehouse; recipients of goods from the storehouse, who will have the opportunity to give to others through serving there; and youth of YM/YW age and older, who can supply needed energy and will learn about how the Church cares for the poor and needy.
2. Completing Bishops' Orders
The storehouse needs to receive orders by about 10 days before the delivery date, to have time to purchase perishable items. The preferable way to submit orders is by mail. When orders need to be faxed (because there is an emergency and they are late) bishops should send the original order by mail on the same day. (The originals go to the main storehouse in Indianapolis for inventory and accounting purposes.)
Send orders to:
Brecksville Ohio Welfare Bishops' Storehouse
6900 Southpointe Parkway, Unit C
Brecksville, OH 44141
fax 440-838-4228
phone 440-526-4001
e-mail WEL-SH-Brecksville@ldschurch.org
Order forms older than 2005 are out of date and should be discarded. Do not photocopy order forms; original forms are required. Dry soup mix has been discontinued, though it still appears on the current form.
Delivery address at the top of the form is the location where the truck delivers (e.g., Green Tree, Cranberry, Ashtabula, etc.) and not the home address of a welfare recipient. Be sure to highlight the delivery address if there may be confusion (e.g., in a ward where members may pick up food more than one location, say, Cranberry or Green Tree).
Please pay attention to whether items are ordered in individual units or pounds. For example, potatoes (10# bag), carrots (1# bag), apples and oranges (3# bags) are ordered by the pound, not the bag.
Four types of bread are available: white, whole wheat, hot dog buns, and hamburger buns. One loaf/bag is considered a unit. When ordering bread put the total number of units in the box, then detail in the notes what kinds of bread are wanted.
3. Humanitarian Donations
Bishops and branch presidents can work with their stake or district presidents to request up to $1,000 of food for a local tax-exempt organization, such as a food bank, shelter, pantry, or the like. A bishop or branch president may learn about an organization's need from a member or another source. If he feels the Church can help meet the need he can approach the organization to learn more.
The organization needing the donation should make a written request, including its 501(c)(3) tax exemption number. The bishop or branch president should work with the organization to complete the Humanitarian Storehouse Items form (rather than the standard Bishop's Order), specifying a few items that are most needed and assigning priorities. He then sends the request to his stake or district president. (Use the $1,000 Humanitarian cover ltr. form.) If the president concurs he sends the order with his recommendation to the agent stake president (Pres. Titera of the Cleveland OH Stake) for his approval, who in turn sends the order to the storehouse to fill. The storehouse can deliver the humanitarian donation on its normal delivery schedule. The organization should arrange to pick up the donation at the delivery location. See "$1,000 Humanitarian Storehouse Guidelines" for more details.)
The Church encourages bishops to request humanitarian donations of food from the storehouse to meet legitimate community needs.
Elder and Sister Bublik bore fervent testimony of the blessings they have received from serving in the storehouse and of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. Thank you, Elder and Sister Bublik, for your faithful service to the Pittsburgh PA Welfare Region.
Elder and Sister Beaudin will begin serving as the new storehouse managers in early November.
1. Work Assignments
As in past years, assignments for our region will be in the summer months. Wards and branches should assign at least four individuals to work. Assignments begin at 9 A.M., though the managers recognize that due to the long distances involved our people may arrive a bit late. The goal is to end by 2 P.M., but the ending time is determined by when the work gets done. The storehouse serves lunch to workers, from the food products the storehouse supplies.
An assignment to work in the storehouse is a great teaching and learning opportunity. Ideal candidates to serve are priesthood and Relief Society leaders who will benefit by understanding the workings of the storehouse; recipients of goods from the storehouse, who will have the opportunity to give to others through serving there; and youth of YM/YW age and older, who can supply needed energy and will learn about how the Church cares for the poor and needy.
2. Completing Bishops' Orders
The storehouse needs to receive orders by about 10 days before the delivery date, to have time to purchase perishable items. The preferable way to submit orders is by mail. When orders need to be faxed (because there is an emergency and they are late) bishops should send the original order by mail on the same day. (The originals go to the main storehouse in Indianapolis for inventory and accounting purposes.)
Send orders to:
Brecksville Ohio Welfare Bishops' Storehouse
6900 Southpointe Parkway, Unit C
Brecksville, OH 44141
fax 440-838-4228
phone 440-526-4001
e-mail WEL-SH-Brecksville@ldschurch.org
Order forms older than 2005 are out of date and should be discarded. Do not photocopy order forms; original forms are required. Dry soup mix has been discontinued, though it still appears on the current form.
Delivery address at the top of the form is the location where the truck delivers (e.g., Green Tree, Cranberry, Ashtabula, etc.) and not the home address of a welfare recipient. Be sure to highlight the delivery address if there may be confusion (e.g., in a ward where members may pick up food more than one location, say, Cranberry or Green Tree).
Please pay attention to whether items are ordered in individual units or pounds. For example, potatoes (10# bag), carrots (1# bag), apples and oranges (3# bags) are ordered by the pound, not the bag.
Four types of bread are available: white, whole wheat, hot dog buns, and hamburger buns. One loaf/bag is considered a unit. When ordering bread put the total number of units in the box, then detail in the notes what kinds of bread are wanted.
3. Humanitarian Donations
Bishops and branch presidents can work with their stake or district presidents to request up to $1,000 of food for a local tax-exempt organization, such as a food bank, shelter, pantry, or the like. A bishop or branch president may learn about an organization's need from a member or another source. If he feels the Church can help meet the need he can approach the organization to learn more.
The organization needing the donation should make a written request, including its 501(c)(3) tax exemption number. The bishop or branch president should work with the organization to complete the Humanitarian Storehouse Items form (rather than the standard Bishop's Order), specifying a few items that are most needed and assigning priorities. He then sends the request to his stake or district president. (Use the $1,000 Humanitarian cover ltr. form.) If the president concurs he sends the order with his recommendation to the agent stake president (Pres. Titera of the Cleveland OH Stake) for his approval, who in turn sends the order to the storehouse to fill. The storehouse can deliver the humanitarian donation on its normal delivery schedule. The organization should arrange to pick up the donation at the delivery location. See "$1,000 Humanitarian Storehouse Guidelines" for more details.)
The Church encourages bishops to request humanitarian donations of food from the storehouse to meet legitimate community needs.
Elder and Sister Bublik bore fervent testimony of the blessings they have received from serving in the storehouse and of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. Thank you, Elder and Sister Bublik, for your faithful service to the Pittsburgh PA Welfare Region.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Grocery Shopping for the Needy
Some wards and branches don't receive deliveries from the bishops' storehouse. Even for some that do there are times when a need can't wait for a bishop's order from the storehouse. In such cases groceries may need to be purchased locally. The following ideas on ways to accomplish this came out of the March 25 Relief Society Welfare Forum:
1. Use a credit card to make the purchases, then turn in the receipt for reimbursement.
2. Set up an account at a grocery store that will bill the ward or branch. This may be possible only at smaller, family-owned stores.
3. Prepare a shopping list, perhaps using the bishops' order form, then have the needy family make their own purchases, using a credit card and returning the receipt for reimbursement and comparison with the approved list.
4. As appropriate, and with proper cautions to preserve confidentiality, delegate shopping to a counselor or a home or visiting teacher.
1. Use a credit card to make the purchases, then turn in the receipt for reimbursement.
2. Set up an account at a grocery store that will bill the ward or branch. This may be possible only at smaller, family-owned stores.
3. Prepare a shopping list, perhaps using the bishops' order form, then have the needy family make their own purchases, using a credit card and returning the receipt for reimbursement and comparison with the approved list.
4. As appropriate, and with proper cautions to preserve confidentiality, delegate shopping to a counselor or a home or visiting teacher.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Bishops' Orders by E-mail
Bishops can now send food orders to the Brecksville OH Bishops' Storehouse by e-mail. The address is wel-sh-brecksville@ldschurch.org. As with faxed orders, the bishop must follow up by sending the signed paper order form by surface mail.
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