Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Partners with Bring Change to Mind to Help Remove Stigmas Surrounding Mental Health
October 10 2019 - 8:30AM
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), a leading, global
specialty retailer of apparel and accessories, is pleased to
announce its partnership with Bring Change to Mind (BC2M), a
nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging dialogue and
raising awareness, understanding and empathy about mental health.
Co-founded by award-winning actor and activist, Glenn Close, whose
family has been affected by mental health issues, BC2M is focused
on ending the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness.
The announcement aligns with the aim of World Mental Health Day,
which brings attention to global mental health education, awareness
and advocacy against social stigmas associated with mental health.
A&F Co. is proud to support the expansion of
BC2M’s educational programs across Central Ohio, which is home to
the company’s global headquarters. The retailer’s initial funding
will support implementing student-led high school clubs in 20
Greater Columbus area schools by fall 2020. Bring Change to Mind’s
High School Program gives teens a platform to share their
voices and raise awareness around mental health. Its aim is to
erase the stigma around mental illness by increasing awareness
and education, fostering student empowerment, building mentoring
opportunities, and encouraging youth to challenge the
misconceptions that so commonly surround mental health
conditions.
Additionally, A&F Co. will host BC2M’s First
Columbus Leadership Meet Up in early 2020, where at least 40 local
student leaders will attend a day of discussion and training as
they start to launch the Bring Change to Mind program in its
schools.
“Ending the stigma surrounding mental illness is
important, now more than ever before. Through various organizations
we support at the local and national level, we understand the
severity of mental health issues facing our communities today, and
we are dedicated to driving awareness and providing support,
especially for teens in need,” said Fran Horowitz, CEO of
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “From our initial conversations with
Glenn and the team, we knew there was more to do in this space and
we applaud Bring Change to Mind for its commitment to this
important work.”
“When we were first introduced to the
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. team and Fran earlier this year, it was
clear they are dedicated to positively impacting the mental health
and wellness of youth. Giving back is an integral part of its
culture, and with our goals aligned, this partnership felt like a
natural fit,” said Pamela Harrington, Executive Director of BC2M.
“We are grateful for their partnership and we can’t wait to bring
our program to Central Ohio, where we can foster meaningful
conversations with our students and share resources to create a
culture of peer support. A&F Co. is a great ally in this space,
and we know that with our combined efforts, we can continue to have
an impact on the stigmas associated with mental illness.”
A&F Co. is committed to making a positive
impact on the communities it touches around the world and is proud
to support the expansion of BC2M to support more
students. The company has provided funding and generated
awareness through branded campaigns to several mental health
organizations, such as The Trevor Project, which provides suicide
prevention and crisis intervention services to LGBTQ young people,
and supportive crisis counseling and a sense of community to LGBTQ
youth to reduce risk factors for suicide. The company is also an
advocate for Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its #OnOurSleeves
campaign, the movement to transform children's mental health.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 A&F cautions
that any forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) contained herein
or made by management or spokespeople of A&F involve risks and
uncertainties and are subject to change based on various important
factors, many of which may be beyond the Company’s control. Words
such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,”
“anticipate,” “intend,” and similar expressions may identify
forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by
applicable law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or
revise our forward-looking statements. The factors disclosed in
“ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS” of A&F’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, and in A&F's
subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, in some
cases have affected, and in the future could affect, the company’s
financial performance and could cause actual results for fiscal
2019 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed or
implied in any of the forward-looking statements included in this
press release or otherwise made by management.
About Abercrombie & Fitch
Co.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is a
leading, global specialty retailer of apparel and accessories for
Men, Women and Kids through three renowned brands. For more than
125 years, the iconic Abercrombie & Fitch brand has outfitted
innovators, explorers and entrepreneurs. Today, the brand reflects
the updated attitude of the modern customer, while remaining true
to its heritage of creating expertly crafted products with an
effortless, American style. The Hollister brand epitomizes
liberating the carefree spirit of an
endless California summer for the teen market.
abercrombie kids creates smart, playful apparel for children ages
5-14, celebrating the wide-eyed wonder of childhood.
The brands share a commitment to offering products
of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that allow consumers
around the world to express their own individuality and
style. The company operates over 850 stores under these brands
across North America, Europe, Asia and
the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce
sites www.abercrombie.com and www.hollisterco.com.
About Bring Change to Mind
In 2010, Glenn Close co-founded Bring
Change to Mind (BC2M), a nonprofit organization built to start the
conversation about mental health, and to raise awareness,
understanding, and empathy. The idea for the organization resulted
from Ms. Close’s first-hand observation of the battles with mental
illness within her own family. Ms. Close’s sister, Jessie,
successfully lives with bipolar disorder, and Jessie’s son, Calen,
lives with schizoaffective disorder, and all three are actively
involved in spreading the organization’s mission. BC2M develops
influential public service announcements (PSAs); pilots
evidence-based, peer-to-peer programs at the high
school level engaging students to eradicate stigma; and has
created a social movement around change by providing people with
platforms to share, connect, and learn. Because science is
essential to achieving this mission, BC2M’s work is grounded in the
latest research, evaluated for effectiveness, and shared with
confidence. An integral component of this is BC2M’s Scientific
Advisory Council, which is comprised of an acclaimed team of
experts in the fields of stigma and discrimination associated with
mental illness. For more information, please
visit www.bringchange2mind.org
Investor Contact: |
Media Contact: |
Pamela Quintiliano |
Mackenzie Gusweiler |
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. |
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. |
(614) 283-6751 |
(614) 283-6192 |
Investor_Relations@anfcorp.com |
Public_Relations@anfcorp.com |
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