Crowds welcome Logan's new Deseret Industries store

By Lisa Rose

October 16, 2006 | Logan residents welcomed in a new Deseret Industries with the snip of a ribbon at 9 a.m. on Oct. 12.

"We appreciate you being here today," said Robert L. Stevenson, president of the Logan Central Stake, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "You are in for a treat!"

Twenty-four thousand square feet stocked with never-previously-shopped donations in the new Deseret Industries is only one of the treats that the 55,000 square feet building brings to the community.

The Deseret Industries is operated under the welfare services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose purpose is to encourage self-reliance. The new building is actually a three-part design. Included on either side of the DI are LDS Family Services and LDS Employment Resource Services, also entities of the church welfare services.

The new building will make things more convenient for the community. The three services were previously in the valley, but not located near each other.

"What a beautiful addition to 1400 North," said Randy Watts, Logan mayor, speaking of the three-part building, "and all under one roof."

The building, at 175 W. 1400 North, is a common design used by the church, said Steve Stowers, manager of the Logan DI. "We have been on the list for a long time because we outgrew our location. We will be able to better optimize the value of donations in the new facility."

The new DI will provide the community with a greater volume of merchandise at low prices. The service is not exclusive to church members; all people are encouraged to shop and support the DI.

Gail Jordan, Logan, a 10-year DI shopper, is excited for the bigger selection at the new DI. "When you are low on funds and you need something, it is the first place I would come. You never know what they are going to have. Actually, 80 to 90 percent of my wardrobe came from the DI."

For Jordan, the fact that the DI employs and trains individuals with special needs deepens her loyalty to the thrift-store. Jordan has worked with special needs students for 13 years as an aid on school buses for the Logan School District.

"The DI is a wonderful source for those that need to get their lives back together," said Jordan, "particularly through the special needs training."

Patti Rash, Smithfield, a volunteer for the grand opening, agrees that the DI is an excellent source for training. "The DI gives employees an opportunity to feel like they are doing something in the world; to learn a skill and be productive. You cannot learn that very many places if you are handicapped."

The DI employs many individuals that have had difficulty finding or holding a job because of psychological, social, vocational, or physical restraints. ProvidentLiving.org explains that the DI encourages self-reliance in these areas. The DI provides training for employees; as well as, provides inexpensive retail and also a service opportunity for others to give.

As the manager of the Logan DI, Stowers is eager to explain that one of the principle purposes of the DI is to train and help people become self-sufficient. Over 100 employees at the Logan DI are actively involved in this training, especially with a new building to get ready.

"We are very busy; remarkably we have done it pretty well with the trainees we have," said Stowers, regarding the challenge of preparing a new building while still maintaining the old. "But lots of new opportunities for training or mentoring are available now. We hope people will recognize that it is a building that serves the people, mostly the people inside that are working toward self-sufficiency."

Tony Baldwin, a trainee for one year, recognized the new skills he gained while working to prepare the new building. "The DI is a training facility that has given me confidence and a lot more knowledge about merchandising."

"I like the idea that you can help someone that is far away. Even though you are not there, you are still helping them," explained Jacob McLain, another trainee hired on for the new building. "A lot of people do not realize the benefit of donating. I have seen people who do not seem to be well off, but they still give because it is still important to them. It shows the character of the people in the valley."

Similar to the DI in the community is the thrift store, Somebody's Attic, located in both Logan and Smithfield. The store is a non-profit organization which donates their proceeds to abuse prevention programs in Cache Valley such as Community Abuse Prevention Services Agency and also Child and Family Support Center.

"People in the valley sustain us by donating everything we sell here," said Karen Cheney, a supervisor at Somebody's Attic. "We have great people here in the valley, very generous people."

Cheney began as a volunteer at Somebody's Attic for reasons that are similar to individuals that work at the DI. "I worked with the CAPSA as a client a few years ago. They helped me get out of an abusive relationship. I began volunteering to help give something back. It is not required of anybody; it was something I personally felt I needed to do."

Somebody's Attic does not have as big a diversity as the DI. But both serve Cache Valley for similar reasons and are both propelled from the community's help.

The LDS Employment and LDS Family Services are resources in Cache Valley to help people with similar problems. The new building will improve their ability to solve employment problems and family issues, respectively.

"The facilities are designed to function much more efficiently," said Lin Huish, manager of the Logan Employment center. "We can help two to three thousand individuals a year get jobs."

The new three-part building is instrumental in the social services that Cache Valley will be able to provide locally and to surrounding areas in the future. The new building, including the Deseret Industries, LDS Employment, and LDS Family Services, said Stowers, is dedicated "for the community at large."

NW
RB