MAHWAH, N.J., Oct. 20,
2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ascena retail group, inc., through their
ascena Foundation, is proud to announce the 2016 winners of the
Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards. The Awards Program, now in its third year,
aims to empower and provide financial support to everyday heroes
who are making a meaningful impact in communities across
the United States, specifically in
the areas of health, education, social reform and esteem.
The Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards honor the lifelong contributions of
Roslyn S. Jaffe, co-founder of
dressbarn and Director Emeritus of ascena retail group, inc. "I'm
thrilled to announce this year's Award winners and recognize these
exceptional leaders who are making the world a better place for
women and children," says Mrs. Jaffe. "This year, we received a
record number of applications for nominations, showcasing the
overwhelming number of organizations that are positively
contributing to their local communities. It is truly an honor to
welcome these women into the Jaffe Awards family and to support and
celebrate organizations who are essential to the strength, health
and betterment of our communities."
As a trailblazing entrepreneur, Mrs. Jaffe began her career in
1962. Mrs. Jaffe was a working mother who saw a need for a
convenient one-stop-shop that offered value-based and
fashion-forward wardrobe solutions for busy women like
herself. It was then that Mrs. Jaffe opened the first
dressbarn store in Stamford, CT,
eventually growing into ascena retail group, inc., a $7.4 billion family of retail brands, including
Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lou & Grey, Lane
Bryant, Cacique, maurices, dressbarn, and Catherines brands.
The Jaffe Awards honors Mrs. Jaffe's entrepreneurial spirit
and commitment to give back, while also encouraging social
entrepreneurs to be heroes in their local communities.
The 2016 Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards winners all positively impact
low-income women and children, both in their local communities and
nationwide. The 2016 winners include:
- Vanessa Garrison &
Morgan Dixon, founders of GirlTrek
($100,000 Grand Prize
Recipient)
GirlTrek is a national nonprofit that mobilizes
African-American women to live their healthiest, most fulfilled
lives through the habit of daily walking. "As an organization that
helps improve the health of tens of thousands of black women and
their families, this Award will help bring critical resources and
attention to GirlTrek's mission while advancing our goal to inspire
1 million black women and girls across the country to walk every
day by 2018," said co-founder Vanessa
Garrison.
- Lara Mendel, executive
director of The Mosaic Project ($25,000 Grant Recipient)
The Mosaic
Project aims to create a peaceful future by uniting children of
diverse backgrounds, providing them with essential
community-building skills, and empowering them to become
peacemakers in their communities.
- Shira Greenberg, founder and
artistic director of Keshet Dance ($25,000 Grant Recipient)
Keshet Dance's
mission is to inspire and unite communities by fostering unlimited
possibilities through dance, mentorship and a creative space for
the arts.
An esteemed Selection Committee with expertise in women's
causes, public affairs, health and education selected three Awards
winners based on five criteria: Their impact on women and children
in the U.S., service of lower-to-middle class beneficiaries, use of
innovative approaches, scalability, and overall need and use for
funding. In addition to receiving financial grants that can be used
to further impact the winners' causes, these grassroots
organizations will benefit from increased exposure, funding
opportunities, and often the potential for expanded programming,
collaborations and partnerships with other peer
organizations.
A luncheon to honor the winners will take place on October 27, 2016 at Cipriani 42nd Street in
New York City. Acclaimed
journalist and philanthropist, Soledad
O'Brien, will emcee the event.
"I'm so honored to be a part of this fantastic initiative," says
Soledad O'Brien, award-winning
journalist and proud supporter of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards. "This
is my third year participating in the luncheon, and every year I'm
impressed to learn about the wonderful causes and organizations
that are further empowering and helping women and children across
the country."
Leading up to the luncheon, ascena retail group, inc. will host
the inaugural Alumni Summit that will convene all previous grant
recipients, further encouraging collaborations and partnerships
amongst peers.
For additional information about the Roslyn S. Jaffe Awards and
this year's winners, please visit www.jaffeawards.com.
About Roslyn S.Jaffe
Roslyn S. Jaffe co-founded the first
dressbarn store in 1962; currently she is Director Emeritus of
ascena retail group, inc. She is a graduate of Simmons College, and was awarded an honorary
Doctorate degree in management from Simmons
College in 2011.
In 1962, Roslyn S. Jaffe was a
working mother who, with her husband Elliott, saw a need and had a
brilliant business idea - a one-stop-shop that offered the
convenience of a value-based, yet fashion forward "work" wardrobe
solution for busy women.. Roslyn and Elliot seized the opportunity
and opened a small store named dressbarn in Stamford, CT and helped transform it into what
is now ascena retail group, inc., a $7
billion plus family of brands. A true trailblazer and
entrepreneur, Mrs. Jaffe credits her success to strength,
determination, and a can-do attitude. But, most of all, she credits
the company's success to a strong team of family, friends, and
associates.
Understanding the needs of her co-workers, many of whom were
also "working moms," Roslyn Jaffe
encouraged a close-knit community where associates could rely on
each other. In addition, Mrs. Jaffe supported like-minded
organizations in the community and was an early advocate for Dress
for Success®, an organization that promotes the economic
independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional
attire, a network of support and the career development tools to
help women thrive in work and in life. This "take care of your own"
camaraderie is what inspired the company years later to establish
ascena Cares, the company's philanthropic organization.
About ascena Cares
Within ascena and its family of
brands there is a rich history of giving. This is
demonstrated through ascena Cares, which embodies the extraordinary
philanthropic efforts within the organization. ascena and its
brands have contributed over $100
million towards causes that benefit women and children, and
the communities where they live. Whether through collective
partnerships or individual brand outreach efforts, ascena is a
family of brands that respects and serves women and girls and is
dedicated to making a positive impact on their lives. And,
through ascena Cares, several funds were established to provide
support directly to associates, their families and their
communities, including: an emergency assistance fund to help
associates in challenging times; a scholarship fund to help
associates' children get a higher education; and a crisis relief
fund to help associates and their surrounding communities in times
of need.
About ascena retail group, inc.
ascena retail group,
inc. (NASDAQ: ASNA) is a leading national specialty
retailer offering apparel, shoes, and accessories for women under
the Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lou & Grey, Lane
Bryant, maurices, dressbarn and Catherines brands, and for
tween girls under the Justice brand. ascena retail group,
inc. operates ecommerce websites and approximately 4,900 stores
throughout the United States,
Canada and Puerto Rico.
For more information about ascena retail group, inc.
visit: ascenaretail.com, AnnTaylor.com, LOFT.com,
louandgrey.com, lanebryant.com, cacique.com, maurices.com,
dressbarn.com, Catherines.com, shopjustice.com
CONTACT:
Diana Hitzig
MSLGROUP
(646) 500-7686
diana.hitzig@mslgroup.com
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SOURCE ascena retail group, inc.