Deseret Industries () (known locally as the DI) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

and a division of the welfare services provided by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

(LDS Church). DI thrift stores are similar to the well-known

Goodwill Industries Goodwill Industries International Inc., often shortened in speech and writing to Goodwill (stylized as goodwill), is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-bas ...

. They are generally located in areas where LDS Church membership is strong, with a total of 44 stores in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

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Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. As with other thrift stores, people donate items they no longer need, such as furniture, appliances, computers, and clothing, which the store then sells. Deseret Industries also sells new furniture, much of it received directly from its own manufacturing plant in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

. DI also provides job skill training for the physically, emotionally and socially challenged and seeks to place them into private sector employment.

History

DI was established in August 1938 by church president

Heber J. Grant Heber Jeddy Grant (November 22, 1856 – May 14, 1945) was an American religious leader who served as the seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then wa ...

toward the end of the Great Depression.Cannon, Michael C
"Deseret Industries"
''Light Planet'', 1989. Retrieved on 26 March 2020. The goal was to collect donated goods, employ people to collect and repair items, and sell items through thrift stores. Initially, DI operated under the Church Security Plan—now as part of the LDS Church's welfare system. As of 2017, DI had 40 stores and additional manufacturing facilities. In 2020, DI locations were closed as a result of the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

Outreach

As a welfare entity, DI provides useful goods at low cost to the public, as well as clothing and other items for humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Some of the donated goods are given to people in the community upon recommendation of the church's local

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

, in the event of a disaster such as a fire or flood. Any revenues that exceed expenses is used to support other LDS Church welfare organizations and programs throughout the world. DI provides work training and rehabilitation opportunities for people referred by an LDS bishop. Since employment at DI is considered rehabilitative training rather than a career, employment normally does not last longer than 18 months. Membership in the LDS Church is not required for training at DI, but the local bishop must sign an endorsement to receive training and services.

Purpose

DI provides an opportunity to learn new skills, earn money to help support the employee and their family, and receive help finding a suitable job when ready. Those in training are called associates. Some associates have disabilities or are elderly, making it difficult to get jobs at other places.Trotter, Rachel J
"Deseret Industries celebrates 75 years"
''

Standard Examiner The ''Standard-Examiner'' is a daily morning newspaper published in Ogden, Utah, United States. With roughly 30,000 subscribers on Sunday and 25,000 daily, it is the third largest daily newspaper in terms of circulation in Utah, after ''The Sal ...

'', 1 October 2013. Retrieved on 27 March 2020. The goal of DI, as noted by its slogan ''People Helping People Help Themselves,'' is to encourage trainees to be self-reliant and become employable in the job market with goals to leave training and enter the job market. In addition to trainees, there are full-time staff such as store manager, assistant store manager, job coach trainer, and development counselor. Trainees of DI do not receive benefits such as retirement, medical coverage, or vacation. They do, however, allow sick leave after a certain number of hours have been spent at the job. DI notes that this is the case because its goal is to prepare them for the workplace and encourage them to work in the community. DI works in conjunction with Development Counseling Services (DCS). DCS assists church leaders as they empower individuals and families in overcoming barriers that prevent them from achieving long-term self-reliance. Development counselors are licensed professionals who work closely with the individual, their church leaders, mentors and family members.

Services

* Career and Technical Education: Deseret Industries partners with community colleges, applied technology centers, and other institutions that offer training courses in accounting, information technology, health care, and other trade areas. * Business Partnerships: Deseret Industries provides help in an associate's chosen career through an internship-type experience at a business who is in partnership with the organization. The partnerships are essentially a 'trial period' in which the associates are paid through Deseret Industries to develop skills and show their capabilities. * Community Partnerships and Grants: Deseret Industries strives to reach out to local communities by partnering with community agencies to assist those whom they serve and provide service opportunities for groups and individuals. * Humanitarian Aid: Items not sold in the stores are sent off for humanitarian relief.

References

External links