The story featured in the video below is inspired by the experience of a real-life DI donor. When Kristen’s little family moved to a small studio apartment, they no longer had space for her son’s old baby things. His stroller, his newborn clothes, and other items needed to find a new home. However, Kristen had a hard time getting rid of items that were so special to her. They held memories of her son’s first few years of life.

Eventually, Kristen decided to donate these items to Deseret Industries. She hoped that they’d be purchased by someone else who would love them as much as she had. “Donating my items to Deseret Industries makes me feel good because I know they’re helping fund DI’s training program, and because I hope someone else will buy them and use them to make their own memories,” says Kristen.

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It can be hard to let go of items you once treasured, even if you no longer need them. Cherished baby clothes, your family’s first dining room table, your father’s golf clubs—items like these come with memories and sentimental value that make them meaningful.

Unneeded items can be handed down to friends, locked away in storage, sold, or thrown away, but we hope you’ll consider donating them to Deseret Industries.

When you donate old items you once treasured, you’re joining a circle of giving. Someone else can take those items home and love them just as much as you did. Perhaps an expectant mother will find your daughter’s baby dress, a newlywed couple will purchase your dining room table, or a father will buy your father’s old golf clubs for his son who just joined the school golf team.

Your donations also help support our associates. Deseret Industries is a job training facility, and your donations fund additional schooling, professional career counseling, and more for associates who have struggled finding employment in the past.

The next time you pull into the donation bay, think about the future of your items. Imagine who might be searching the sales floor hoping for an item just like yours. As the associates unload your car, think about how these items are helping them build a better future.

We see donations as more than just items. They're beloved treasures that can bless others' lives just as much as they blessed yours. When you donate, shop and serve at DI, you are participating in what we call the Circle of Thrift—these treasures continually blessing lives.

The best part of the Deseret Industries story is service. Every item you donate and every shopping trip you take supports our associates and their goals. Keep shopping, keep donating—you're changing lives.