I recently chose to donate some items at the Deseret Industries between 100 and 200 East on 700 South in Salt Lake City. Some items were in excellent condition, some were in fair condition, but all were useable and I wanted someone to be able to use them rather than have them sit in storage. One of the items was a student desk: Nothing fancy, but well cared-for and practically new. In order to bring it to your facilities, I disassembled the desk, drew a diagram of the construction, placed all needed screws and hardware in a heavy-duty zip-lock bag with the diagram and drove it to the donation dock. A kind gentleman from Africa, I believe, helped me take some of the things out and then his manager came by and started throwing pieces of the desk in the trash. The kind man asked about it and the man said, ÒWe wonÕt put this back together, throw it out.Ó Taken aback by his harshness and wastefulness, I asked, ÒYou wonÕt put it together?Ó ÒWe never have!Ó he snapped loudly at me, as if I were saying that you once had done such a dreadful thing. I then requested to get the desk back because it is in excellent condition and someone could really use it. He made his employee take the items out of the trash which he had ordered thrown away. If I had not cared if someone else got to use the items, I would not have brought them to Deseret Industries which I thought, apparently mistakenly, helped to make sure useful items were passed on and not just thrown out. If the man had told me that they could not accept the desk because it was too difficult to put all such items together, it would have been fine, but to simply start throwing it away without letting me know and then to yell at me when I asked about it was unacceptable. He also threw away a bike rack, which was in good shape and was assembled and had all its parts; another item that someone else would be able to use.
Now that I know the wastefulness of Deseret Industries, I will not donate any other items to your establishment. That same day I took 20 wool sweaters and 20+ pairs of practically new menÕs jeans to the rescue mission, where I know that they will not be thrown away and that someone who needs them will receive them at no cost. Luckily, I do not experience many deaths in my family, so I will not have to make many large donations in the near future, but you can be sure that Deseret Industries will not receive even the tiniest item from me: I can throw them out myself.
Sincerely,
holly christmas