As Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Indiana Pacers basketball player Buddy Hield worked side by side packaging food boxes at the Bishops’ Central Storehouse, they talked about what they do and why they serve.
“He wanted to know, ‘What is an Apostle?’” Elder Rasband said. “So I was able to share with him about my calling, and he shared with me more about participating in the 3-point competition Saturday night.”
Hield is from the Bahamas — an area that has suffered from hurricanes and other natural disasters — and serving others in need is important to him.
“I do this back in the Bahamas, too,” Hield said. “Coming to Utah and being a part of the All-Star weekend, I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this service.”
The NBA All-Star game is Sunday, Feb. 19. Ahead of that, nearly 300 volunteers — including current and former NBA players, staff, families and guests — spent hours on Friday, Feb. 17, sorting and packing food donations and hygiene kits at the storehouse.
When completed, more than 6,700 food and 2,800 hygiene kits will help those across north and central Utah.
“To help give to people in need — it goes a long way and giving back with stuff like this is a blessing,” Hield said. “It shows the NBA cares about families and people in need.”
Elder Rasband said it was a privilege to visit with several of the NBA volunteers, work alongside them and share their values with each other.
“None of them have to be here today. They come because they want to,” he said. “A big part of what the NBA is doing these days is showing that they care. And what better place could they come when they are in Utah than right here to see the way we care for Heavenly Father’s children.”
The first and second great commandments
As volunteers placed cereal, tuna and other food into empty boxes, the full boxes moved down the line and other boxes took their place. Working in another line of volunteers in the cavernous warehouse was Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency.
“I think that this is an important responsibility that we have, especially as members of the Church and those who share belief in the first and second great commandments,” Sister Browning said.
“We know that we love God, and that the best expression of our love for God is living the second commandment by loving and serving others,” she said. “We are also always happy to join with anyone seeking to lift and help others. This is work we can all do regardless of our varied backgrounds and beliefs.”
She saw people offering hope and help in their joint efforts throughout the day. “It’s wonderful to see that we can all be unified in serving others and meeting critical food insecurity needs today.”
Sawyer Dahl, age 15, from the Highland Utah East Stake, had the day off school. When his dad asked him if he wanted to volunteer, he said yes — not just because he would see NBA players, but also because he knew the importance of service.
“We are trying to love one another, and this is a good opportunity to share love with each other and be like the Lord in that way,” he said.
Shared values and collaborating in serving
Deron Williams, a former NBA player who played for the Utah Jazz from 2005 to 2011, was happy to be back in Utah for the NBA All-Star weekend. He brought his family to the service event, where they assembled hygiene kits with toothpaste, soap and other necessities.
“This was always one of my favorite things to do during All-Star weekend, was to be able to come to these NBA Cares events and Day of Service and give back to the communities that support us,” he said.
Before the service activity, Williams and other NBA guests were taken on a tour of the Bishops’ Central Storehouse.
“They explained how many people this reaches, and how many people this feeds — and this is one warehouse of many not only in Utah, but around the U.S. and Canada,” Williams said.
Sharon Eubank, director of humanitarian services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conducted the tour.
People are always surprised at the scale, Sister Eubank said, explaining that out of the Bishops’ Central Storehouse 80 trucks a day go to other storehouses and food banks.
The Church collaborating with the NBA allowed each organization to discuss its shared values and priorities.
“They believe in excellence, and so do we — we want to give those in need our very best,” Sister Eubank said.
The Church helps all of Heavenly Father’s children, Elder Rasband said, regardless of race or religion or gender.
“It’s nice to be able to share those values with each other, saying, ‘Here’s what our facility is all about. Here’s how we serve every day,’” he said.
Elder Kevin W. Pearson, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Utah Area, has been looking forward to the project for a number of months. “This will help a lot of people. We are excited about that.”
About the Bishops’ Central Storehouse
The 570,391-square-foot Bishops’ Central Storehouse at 5405 W. 300 South in Salt Lake City was completed in 2012.
At the time, the facility’s manager, Richard Humpherys, said the building was constructed for a single purpose — “to enable the bishops of the Church to meet the needs of the poor and needy.”
The food and hygiene kits packaged Friday are heading to six local food banks, and those organizations will distribute the items to people in need around them.
Rows and rows of food and supplies fill the tall shelves in the storehouse, which includes 63,000 square feet of freezer and cooler space. Because of the way the storehouse is organized, supplies can go out to those in need at a moment’s notice.
The fully equipped facility stores 143 different items, including corn, beans, canned meats, cheese, milk, cereals, butter, ice cream, peanut butter and produce — both fresh and canned. Also stocked are hand soap, dish soap, shampoo, toilet paper and other hygiene items.
About NBA Cares
NBA Cares is the league’s global social responsibility program, building on the NBA’s mission to make a positive impact in its local communities and address social issues in the U.S. and around the world.
The program and participants have done that through more than 5.8 million hours of hands-on service. Past projects have included working with food banks in other cities, building homes, packaging books, constructing playgrounds and volunteering in schools.
NBA Cares works with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, Special Olympics, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and others, creating places where kids and families can live, learn or play and engaging youth in basketball programs around the world.
