Ironically, some LDS member on a financial forum where I hang out were under the impression that the Storehouse was only available to tithers. It was one of the justifications for tithing.
The guy who works next to me said that wasn’t true (he’s LDS).
It’s not true. I’m not Mormon, and I have used the local warehouse to buy in bulk, and can. Saves me a TON of money.
The local LDS doesn’t advertise this, and the locals require a referral from a local LDS to get in.
It isn’t true. I have been involved in Bishoprics and the welfare program, my wife in Relief Societ Presidencies. We routinely help inactive mebers of the Church, part members, and even full-on non-members in our communities who come to us for that help.
It is paid for in part by tithing, but the vast majority of this program is paid for by seperate offerings where members give, each month, the quivalent dollar worth of two hearty meals for their families to be used to help others.
We usually give $50 or so dollars a month to this fund.
Now, those in charge of distributing the help (the Bishops and Relief Society Presidents) in eah congregation sit down with the recipients and go over work ethic, finances, and the need for those receiving to help pay for what they get. The Church has canneries, farms, racnhes, and uses Deseret Industries (a thrift store type operation sponsored by the church) to not only give work, but also to train people.
If someone is able, and unwilling to do anything, it will not be long before their help stops in favor of someone whi is willing.
Those who are disabled, or mothers with several children with no father in the home, will be asked to do what they can...but the help in those cases usually does not stop unless the people do not want to be involved anymore (which involvement means regular meetings with the church leaders to review and assess their situation).
These are generalities about how the program works...each case is individual and will vary.
I tend to pull “good ideas” from other faiths/cultures and use them as my own, the one thing I pulled from the LDS was their “having one year supply of food on hand” thing.
I have one year of food that I rotate through and also use to help some of my friends when they need food.
I have yet to pull anything from the “ROP”.