Sears Once Again Supports U.S. Military Veterans by Teaming Up With AMVETS for 'Operation Blanket'
February 01 2010 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Sears continues its longstanding commitment to members of the
military this winter by collecting blankets to help provide warmth
to homeless veterans HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 1
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the final months of winter upon us
and some of the coldest temperatures yet to be faced, it is
important for Americans to remember those who do not have a warm
home, 23 percent of whom are military veterans(1). At a time when
these veterans need help the most, Sears is rallying support for
them. Today the retailer announced it has teamed up with AMVETS to
support "Operation Blanket," a program created to collect blankets
that will be distributed to military veterans. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100201/CG46697) Customers are
invited to show their support and donate gently used blankets at
select stores* from Jan. 31 through Feb. 18. In exchange for their
donation, Sears will provide each customer with a coupon for 20
percent off any one home fashion or home decor item, or a coupon
for 10 percent off any one housewares, luggage or furniture item
(mattresses are excluded). Customers will receive a coupon for each
blanket they donate. "Sears is proud to work together with AMVETS
to support 'Operation Blanket' in an effort to help provide comfort
to those veterans who have given so much for our country," said
Doug Wurl, VP/GMM, Sears Holdings Home Fashions. "Each year we
challenge ourselves to find new ways to say 'thank you' to the
members of our military. This is yet another way we can show our
appreciation and encourage participation from our customers."
AMVETS will distribute all collected blankets to veterans through
its thrift shops and local veteran posts in select cities across
the country. Sears will also make a $5,000 donation directly to
AMVETS to further support their military veteran programs. "We are
pleased to be working together with Sears and appreciate that they
are making it easy for Americans to give back and help our
veterans," said AMVETS National Commander, Duane Miskulin. "The
harsh winter months are an especially difficult time for the
homeless and each blanket we collect will help keep one veteran a
little bit warmer." Sears' ongoing commitment to assisting troops
and their families is evident by a number of initiatives they have
committed to over the years, including several recruiting and
employment programs. The retailer has set one of the most generous
standards of support in the country for employees who serve in the
military by maintaining civilian pay and benefits throughout their
calls of duty. Sears also oversees the Heroes at Home program,
which includes a joint effort between Sears Holdings Corporation
and the non-profit, Rebuilding Together, which works to preserve
home ownership for military veterans. Through the Heroes at Home
program, Sears Holdings Corporation has sought to improve the lives
of military families in need across America by making necessary
repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. To date,
Sears has raised more than $11 million for military families. For
more information please visit http://www.sears.com/ or
http://www.amvets.org/. *Sears stores in the following states will
participate in "Operation Blanket": California, Colorado, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. About Sears
Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's
fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900
full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and
Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as
well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and
automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include
Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering,
including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and
Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also
has the Country Living collection, which is offered exclusively by
Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home
services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually.
Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries,
including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more
information, visit Sears Holdings' Web site at
http://www.searsholdings.com/. About AMVETS A leader since 1944 in
preserving the freedoms secured by America's armed forces, AMVETS
provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring
their earned entitlements, as well as community service and
legislative reform that enhances the quality of life for this
nation's citizens and veterans alike. AMVETS is one of the largest
congressionally-chartered veterans' service organizations in the
United States, and includes members from each branch of the
military, including the National Guard and Reserves. To learn more
visit http://www.amvets.org/. (1) U.S. Interagency Council on
Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100201/CG46697
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Sears Holdings Corporation
CONTACT: Tom Aiello of Sears Holdings, +1-847-286-7387, , or
Carolyn Goldberg of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, +1-212-367-6947, , for
Sears Holdings Web Site: http://www.searsholdings.com/
http://www.sears.com/ http://www.amvets.org/ Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/923204.html
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