BYU-Idaho Radio · Rexburg's Deseret Industries Undergoing Renovations
Rexburg’s Deseret Industries is getting a face lift. Starting on April 5 and continuing for about two weeks, the store and donation center will be undergoing renovations.
Jessica Blair, a job coach trainer for the Rexburg branch of D.I., walked BYU-Idaho Radio through the changes the public will see once the doors reopen.
“We’ll be tearing up and replacing the flooring, we just got new LED lights put in, and our yard area has been shut down for a couple of months so that we could enclose it,” she said. “Before, that yard was just chain-link fence and a tarp, so in the winter it was super cold and, in the summer, it was very muggy.”
Blair said they hope to open the store on April 20. When the store does reopen, Blair said they still plan on following COVID-19 safety guidelines.
“At first we had to hold items for three days in ‘quarantine’ and we could barely handle that. Now, though, that quarantine period is 24 hours, so it’s much easier to handle donations,” said Blair.
Along with the item quarantine, Deseret Industries will still be following guidelines, including social distancing and face coverings.
Every store goes through the occasional renovation. Blair said this project is more than that though.
“It’s more than just updating our building, but we are upgrading and making a dedicated building look better for the Lord and for our customers and for these people who are coming to us in times of need,” she said. “We want people to come into our facility and feel the Spirit, to feel like we care about them.”
Expect to see the doors open no later than April 20. If you would like to know how you can donate to Deseret Industries or about how the store is much more than a thrift shop, visit the website at deseretindustries.org.