My dear wife, Janice, and I moved to be closer to the medical care we hoped could treat the debilitating illness from which she suffered. We found this decision to be wise, as I was allowed to transfer to a larger branch of my company and the doctors were immediately able to diagnose her condition. After two surgeries, Janice started to regain her strength. Our trials were not over, however, because shortly thereafter I lost my job.

Five long months passed, then with a referral from our bishop, Janice started work as a cashier at Deseret Industries. I followed a month later working in the large as-is department. Janice’s bubbly and upbeat attitude as a cashier impressed her job coach and she quickly learned the customer service register responsibilities. After a few weeks, I was asked if I would be the lead in my department. I had health issues of my own that I felt might affect my performance, but my job coach was confident that I could perform well in this leadership assignment.

Together, Janice and I, over the next six months, learned to love our co-workers, job coaches, and our customers. Management also recognized our customer service abilities and gave us high marks for the job we were doing.

Janice was now back to full strength and it was time for her to find a new job. A large retail store was opening in our area, and Janice was immediately hired as a cashier and to help prepare the store for its grand opening. 

I was also ready to move forward in my job search. With encouragement from my development specialist, I applied for a position as a cashier for a large home improvement store. I was immediately called for a face-to-face interview with the operations manager of the store. He asked me if I would instead work assisting customers to find products for their projects. I had little experience with many of the items being sold, but he explained to me that he was hiring me for my customer service skills. He was sure that I would help the store retain customers because I would treat them well.

Thanks to the people we worked with at Deseret Industries, Janice and I are now employed and love our jobs. We still have relationships with many of the workers there, and will always remember with love and appreciation our time working and learning at Deseret Industries.