CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Grainger (NYSE: GWW), the leading broad line supplier
of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving
businesses and institutions, has donated 1.7 million face coverings
to Children First Fund (CFF) to help ensure teachers, students and
staff in Chicago Public Schools
(CPS) have the face coverings they need for a safe school year. The
donation includes 1.2 million cloth reusable face coverings and
500,000 disposable face coverings, which are critical
resources that will supplement CPS' existing inventory.
A portion of the donation was used this summer to support the
Summer Return to Play programming for sports across the district.
Moving into the school year, an additional portion of the face
coverings will be used to support teachers, staff and students for
supplemental programming, Fall Return to Play sports, and more, as
well as to support families and staff at Child Learning Hubs.
"As we work to ensure the health and safety of our school
communities, we are grateful for the support and leadership of
Chicago companies," said CPS CEO,
Dr. Janice K. Jackson. "This
generous donation from Grainger helps us respond to the evolving
needs of our students and staff, continue to provide masks for our
essential staff in school buildings, and be prepared to welcome
school communities back when it is safe to do so."
The donation to CFF combines Grainger's expertise as a leading
supplier of safety products and solutions with its community
affairs focus on disaster preparedness and response, and
education.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Grainger has been an "essential
business" providing hardware, safety, personal protective equipment
and other MRO products to customers, including government agencies,
hospitals, first responders, food producers, utilities,
pharmaceutical manufacturers and those that work in critical
infrastructure sectors.
"As a company founded and headquartered in the Chicago area, we think it's critical to help
our neighbors stop the spread of COVID-19," said Grainger Chairman
and CEO, DG Macpherson. "Our access to supplies like face coverings
puts us in a unique position during this global emergency to help
support the work, education and wellbeing of the residents in our
communities during these challenging times."
"Grainger's generous donation of 1.7 million face coverings
provides an essential item to ensure the safety of our CPS school
communities," said CFF Interim Executive Director, Mica Matsoff. "We are grateful to Grainger and
all of our partners across Chicago
who have rallied together to help us promote a safe, supportive and
equitable school year for all."
Grainger was founded in Chicago
in 1927. Today, the company operates 19 locations across
Illinois, including three branches
in Chicago and an office at
theMART.
For more information about Grainger's efforts to support
communities, visit www.graingercsr.com.
For more information about the steps Grainger is taking to
prioritize health and safety during the pandemic, visit
www.grainger.com/content/coronavirus-covid-19-update.
About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2019 sales of
$11.5 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of
maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products, with operations
primarily in North America,
Japan and Europe.
Follow Grainger on Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn. Subscribe to Grainger's Media Room to receive
the latest news.
About Children First Fund
The Children First Fund
serves as a knowledge hub and liaison between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and its community
of partners, securing and organizing resources that advance CPS's
mission to provide a high-quality public education that prepares
every child in every neighborhood for success in college, career,
and civic life. As the district's only fiscal agent, the Children
First Fund is best positioned to help direct your resources for
maximum impact. For more information, please visit
https://www.childrenfirstfund.org or find CFF on social
@ChiFirstFund.
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SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.