D.I. Tee

Deseret Industries. A thrift store similar to Value Village; except with a better selection due to the fact that it is not as well known. It is usually referred to as "the D.I." or "Deseret" (Dez-er-ret) and is sometimes inncorrectly pronounced "dez-er-ray". One of the stores is featured in the movie "Napoleon Dynamite". • There are 46 D.I. stores throughout 7 western states. • All are non-profit, self-sustaining enterprises that process millions of donated goods every year. • The stores are open to the public and operate on the principles of thrift, work, giving and self-reliance. • The name "Deseret," was the name proposed in the 1840s by Mormon settlers for what later became Utah. It was taken from the Book of Mormon, and is a term suggesting the industrious nature of the honeybee. • Deseret Industries’ primary purpose is employment rehabilitation. Workers who know little or no English, who lack job training, or who are elderly or disabled are the primary beneficiaries. • Jobs at Deseret Industries include sorting donated clothing and other items and preparing them for sale, pricing and stocking merchandise, helping customers at a cash register and building furniture. • Trainers oversee 12 to 15 people who are being taught job skills. The trainees work according to an "individual self-reliance plan" that is tailored to give them the skills they need. Salaries start at minimum wage. • One difference between today’s Deseret Industries program and the original is that all the trainees in 1938 were Church members. Today, nearly 30% are not Latter-day Saints. • In addition to on-the-job instruction, trainees take classes for which they are paid. Course work includes technical classes, college courses and internships. Deseret Industries also teaches English to immigrants from many countries and assists them in adapting to a new culture. Classes are held on-site, at outside businesses and at local schools. • Trainers’ salaries, programs and equipment are paid from revenues generated by the sale of donated goods. • Most trainees complete the program in about a year, then Church Employment Resource Centers assist them with job placement. More than 6,000 trainees work through the Deseret Industries system every year. • During any given week, about 2,700 trainees are enrolled at all Deseret Industries facilities combined. At the new Tooele Deseret Industries, an estimated 100 people will be trained each year. • Annually, millions of pounds of clothing are sent out from Deseret Industries to the Church Humanitarian Service Center, which in turn aids people around the world — regardless of faith. The Church also partners with other agencies and religious institutions to provide relief. • Bishops can provide clothing, furniture and other essentials from Deseret Industries to people who cannot afford them and are in need. ***(some information courtesy of www.lds.org)