Deseret Industries is the thrift store that is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s a non-profit organization that was started in 1938 as a way for members of the Church to recycle their unwanted goods and for those goods to find homes where they would be most needed. Today, there are almost fifty stores scattered across the western United States.
The mission of Deseret Industries is three-fold. First, the stores provide jobs to those who need training in a vocation or who might find it difficult to find job placement elsewhere, due to age, lack of education, or physical limitations. By working in the store, individuals learn valuable skills they can then take with them to other jobs, or they can create a career working at the store.
Second, as we shop there for things we might need, we’re giving new life to items and spending only a fraction of what we would at a regular department store.
Third, by donating our own gently used items and perhaps donating some of our time as well, we’re providing service and we’re gaining the blessings that come through selfless service.
I’ve seen lives turned around by the programs available through Deseret Industries. People who have had no luck in the job force have worked a short time at the DI, sharpened their skills, and then moved on to find employment that has brought them a lot of joy. People who could not afford new clothing or furniture have been able to find those things and purchase them inexpensively.
The Church is always seeking ways to offer help and assistance to those in need. In fact, bales of donated clothing are often sent to Africa or places that have been hit by natural disasters. Deseret Industries is just one of many ways in which a marked difference is being made, and we support our local DI.
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