Retailer to designate community
donations and grants to ensure kids have
the resources they need to succeed
PLANO,
Texas - (Aug. 1, 2018) - In
an effort to address the disparity of resources and opportunities
needed for all children to be successful, JCPenney, along with the
JCPenney Communities Foundation, will designate $4 million in
donations and grants this year to assist in closing the opportunity
gap for underserved youth. These funds will be used to support
various schools, universities and non-profit organizations across
the country to provide essential clothing needs, access to youth
development programs and career readiness support.
"Founded on the Golden Rule,
JCPenney has a rich legacy rooted in giving back. As one of the
largest apparel and home retailers in the U.S. with over 98,000
associates, we have the means to make a significant impact in
closing the opportunity gap and providing all kids, regardless of
their background or circumstance, access to the resources they need
to succeed," said Brynn Evanson, executive vice president of human
resources for JCPenney and chairman of the JCPenney Communities
Foundation. "Through this charitable focus, we will assist at-risk
youth build the confidence they need to stay engaged in school,
graduate and prepare for a rewarding career, helping to bridge the
gap between potential and success."
Today, significant gaps in
opportunity continue to persist, particularly among
African-American and Hispanic children from low-income households,
who are the most at risk of not graduating high school or getting
the formal training they need to secure a job*. In fact, over the
past 25 years, the gap in elementary and secondary school
performance between children from low-income and high-income
families has grown by 40 percent**. Educators, civic leaders and
researchers agree that the opportunity gap among the nation's youth
may be the greatest crisis facing American schools***.
JCPenney customers and associates
are invited to join the Company in its commitment to addressing
this important cause. When shopping in-store or online, JCPenney
shoppers can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar and
donate the difference to the JCPenney Communities Foundation.
Furthermore, the retailer is empowering each of its more than 860
stores to select a local organization in their area to receive a
grant from the JCPenney Communities Foundation. The JCPenney
Communities Foundation will provide $1.3 million in grants to the
selected local organizations to support initiatives aimed at
closing the opportunity gap.
Providing School
Uniforms for Students
When kids do not have essential clothing items, they often feel
insecure, embarrassed and do not want to fully engage in school
activities. To ensure more kids have the basic items they need,
JCPenney has partnered with IZOD® to provide 3,000 school uniforms
to seven schools in the Dallas Independent School District as part
of the Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities annual back-to-school
event. The JCPenney Communities Foundation will also donate $50,000
to the After-School All-Stars organization to provide students at
E.H. Cary Middle School in Dallas school uniforms and other
essential needs such as hygiene kits, shoes and items for the
school's clothing closet.
Engaging Kids in
High-Quality Development Programs
Involvement in high-quality youth development programs is key to
providing kids additional support that will allow them to reach
their full potential. JCPenney works with organizations to provide
local youth access to programs that offer learning enrichment in a
safe, positive environment where kids have an opportunity to engage
in sports, receive assistance with their homework, work with
mentors and more.
As the official sponsor of the
After-School All-Stars North Texas program at E. H. Cary Middle
School, the JCPenney Communities Foundation provided a three-year
grant that enables middle school students, an age-group often
underserved when it comes to afterschool opportunities, to remain
on-site at their school and participate in high-quality afterschool
programming at no cost. The JCPenney Communities Foundation has
also partnered with After-School All-Stars to provide $200,000 to
support the organization's chapters in Miami, Orlando and Tampa.
These funds will allow the organization to increase the number of
students it serves who were impacted by Hurricane Irma.
Along with a cause marketing
campaign supporting the YMCA this back-to-school season, a $500,000
donation from the JCPenney Communities Foundation has been
designated to the Y to support the organization's key programs.
This includes Y Achievers, a college readiness and career
exploration program designed to help underserved, first generation
college bound and minority teens achieve higher education, and
Power Scholars Academy, a six-week summer learning program aimed at
tackling summer learning loss. The retailer also hosted a special
event at its Home Office in Plano, TX with the Moorland Family
YMCA. The event provided Y kids an opportunity to meet with
JCPenney executives, learn more about a career in retail and
participate in fun activities with the Company's merchandising and
human resource teams. The JCPenney Communities Foundation also
treated Y kids attending the event to a $100 JCPenney gift card and
a chance to win a $2,500 shopping spree to assist with
back-to-school shopping.
Ensuring Youth
are Career Ready
JCPenney has partnered with select colleges to assist eligible
students with access to professional attire when they go on their
first job interview. The retailer offers an on-campus career
clothing closet to Paul Quinn College in Dallas, providing the
majority of low-income students attending the college a friendly,
shop-like environment stocked with an array of stylish career wear
looks. Additionally, JCPenney has launched a "Suit Yourself"
program with the University of Memphis, providing students that
meet selected criteria an opportunity to attend a JCPenney in-store
event where they receive a professional attire consultation, style
guide and fitting, as well as $150 gift card toward a selection of
appropriate attire.
Furthermore, an additional Company
program, "Suit Up," enables JCPenney stores across the country to
partner with nearby colleges and universities to offer a private,
in-store shopping event for students seeking direction on
appropriate career attire. Store associates are on hand to assist
each student, who are provided a special discount on their
purchase. JCPenney is also one of the founding members of the
100,000 Opportunities Initiative, the largest employer-led
coalition focused on hiring "opportunity youth" - an untapped
source of talent made up of the 4.6 million American youth aged
16-25 years old who are out of school and not working. At select
100,000 Opportunities Initiative job and resource fairs, the
retailer hosts an on-site interactive booth offering attendees
styling advice and fashion tips for the workplace.
For more information on how
JCPenney is supporting helping to close the opportunity gap visit
jcp.com/community.
* "The Condition of Education
2012" - United States Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics
** "The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap on
America's Schools" - McKinsey & Company, 2009
*** "The Widening Academic Achievement Gap Between
the Rich and the Poor: New Evidence and Possible Explanations"
- Sean F. Reardon, Stanford University, 2011
JCPenney Media
Relations
972-431-3400 or jcpnews@jcp.com
Follow @jcpnews on Twitter for the latest announcements and Company
information.
About
JCPenney:
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP), one of the nation's largest
apparel and home retailers, combines an expansive footprint of over
860 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico with a powerful
e-commerce site, jcp.com, to deliver style and value for all
hard-working American families. At every touchpoint, customers will
discover stylish merchandise at incredible value from an extensive
portfolio of private, exclusive and national brands. Reinforcing
this shopping experience is the customer service and warrior spirit
of approximately 98,000 associates across the globe, all driving
toward the Company's mission to help customers find what they love
for less time, money and effort. For additional information, please
visit jcp.com.
About the JCPenney Communities
Foundation:
The JCPenney Communities Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity
supporting programs that help close the opportunity gap for
underserved youth through essential clothing needs, access to youth
programs and career readiness support, along with disaster relief
assistance. Through the support of JCPenney customers and the
Company's 98,000 associates worldwide, the JCPenney Communities
Foundation is committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of
their background or circumstance, has the opportunity to be
successful. For more information
visit www.jcp.com/community.
This
announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf
of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely
responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: J. C. Penney Company, Inc. via Globenewswire
J C Penney (NYSE:JCP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
J C Penney (NYSE:JCP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024