Reprinted with permission from the Emmy Mom blog. Visit the blog to see images from the grand opening. 

I love thrift stores.  The bookshelves in our play room can attest to that with the hundreds of children’s books I have bought over the years.  When I heard that a Deseret Industries was opening in Fontana, California I was excited!

When Eric and I were first married and poor college students, every Friday we would go to our local Deseret Industries and buy a game for a dollar or two.  Then we would take it home, make some popcorn and play our new game. The games we just didn’t enjoy, well we would just donate them back.  We now have a closet full of games.

I love looking for new treasures, new toys for the kids, picture frames to paint and re-make, clothes for the kids (who out grown things so quickly I never want to pay full price) and even furniture.

opening lineI arrived at the DI grand opening 30 minutes before the ribbon cutting ceremony and the line already wrapped around the side of the building.

My friend and I got a behind the scenes tour and let me just say the store is amazing!

Not only is it huge, but it is clean and so well organized.  It felt more like a regular store than your typical thrift store.  Not to mention the prices are great!  There are certain thrift stores that seem to be over-priced, but this is not the case with DI.

One of my favorite parts about DI, is that they give back. Before the ribbon was cut, elected city officials spoke of how happy they were to have DI in Fontana as not only do they put people to work, but they train them for future and great employment.

DI isn’t the end goal, but it is a training facility that teaches real work skills along the way.  DI has helped more than 3,500 individuals in permanent, full-time employment following their DI training.
Here are a few more fun facts about DI:
  • The store will house more than 40,000 items, with a replacement rate of 2,000 to 3,000 new goods put on the floor each day. A great reason to come again and againpage1image18472
  • Quality secondhand items include clothing, shoes, dishes, furniture, home decor, children’s books and toys, tools, outdoor play equipment, and more.
  • DI also sells new, low price goods including: blankets, sheets, men’s suits, mattresses, bed frames, and dressersIn 2014:
  • DI provided more than 75,000 community grants (vouchers to needy families for free merchandise from DI, granted through partnerships with other charitable organizations in the communities served by DI).
  • Produced more than 55,000 humanitarian kits to provide relief to victims of disasters around the world.
  • Manufactured and shipped more than 72,000 mattresses and 20,000 wood furniture items for sale in DI stores and for humanitarian relief.
They truly are a store that is there to help and better the community!