This past week we took our Primary church girls on a tour of a local thrift store. This particular thrift store it is owned and operated by the LDS church, and is a strictly non-profit organization. They have them all over the United States.
I learned a few really cool things about Deseret Industries during our one 1/2 -hour tour. For instance:
*the D.I. provides on-the-job training skills for low-income families, immigrants, and those who don't have the job skills necessary to find work.
*Most of the donations received by D.I. are sold to help humanitarian aid.
*These past months have been extremely busy as they've been shipping most of the clothing and shoe donations to Haiti and Chile.
*Many of the donations received are issued out for free, to church members who can't afford basic necessities like couches, chairs, and school clothes for their kids.
*Dirty, ripped, or worn clothing donations, are recycled into rags for cleaning businesses.
*Almost all the stuff donated finds a new home or is recycled.
And my personal favorite:
*The D.I. is an excellent place to bargain hunt and find treasures for cheap!
Our tour was a lot of fun, as we got a behind-the-scenes look at how a thrift store operates, and what good impact it has on the world. The best part was, the store manager had our girls "work" for 20 minutes or so, sorting and cleaning the store.
It was cool to see their faces light up, as they felt they were doing something meaningful with their time and energy.
(Our group! I am a co-Leader in charge of providing service and skill oriented activities for the girls in our church, ages 8-11)
I think it's important to teach kids from a young age that money doesn't grow on trees, and work is necessary to live! I have definitely experienced a sense of confidence and satisfaction in my life, as I look back on all the many jobs I have had. Starting from when I was a 12 year old babysitter, I knew that working was a necessary part of life. Not only did it enable me to buy my own bon-bons that nobody else could eat, but it also provided me with a sense of purpose and responsibility in life.
Since those first days of sitting, I have had lots of different jobs. My first real job was at the Laie Movie Theatre, where I cleaned up after the movies, and sold popcorn to patrons. For the next 10 years I have worked as: a waitress and bartender at various restaurants, a sales person at a shoe store, a full time nanny, a cashier at a truck side stand, a caregiver at an eating disorder treatment center, a Wilderness Therapy Field Guide, a Trailwalker, a Ropes Course Instructor (favorite job, ever!), a counselor at a group home for troubled girls,a secretary for a Fire-extinguisher company, and well, that was the last job I had before kids!
Right now in my life I have no desire to work away from our kids, however, I have seen the impact my past jobs have had on my feelings towards motherhood and community service. Knowing the value of work, and seeing a job through, has allowed me to feel confident, motivated, accountable, and goal oriented in my church, community, and Mom responsibilities. Not every day is perfect, and there is a lot of hard work involved, but there is a great reward inside my heart. :)
Work can be very satisfying, and a happy experience, too. We want our kids to feel a great sense of joy and fun in work, but we also want them to know, from a young age, that you have to work, to live. That's just the truth of it. Taking personal responsibility for your life and actions, being self sufficient, and earning your right to fancy privileges, is something I feel very strongly about. (Nothings for free, kids!)
And through hard work and effort, blessings come in great measures!
I am grateful for the people who have encouraged me to work in my life, and for the people that helped me out when I needed it! My parents are both hard workers, and I am extremely proud of their examples. Without them, well, I would probably still be lounging on their couches eating bon-bons!
Would you like ranch with your fries?
