Our hearts and prayers go out to the millions of people impacted in Texas, as well as our neighbors in Louisiana. Hurricane Harvey is one of the most destructive hurricanes to ever impact the U.S. It’s also a disaster that many of us at JCPenney have felt personally. Not only is our company headquartered in Texas, but Texas is home to more JCPenney stores than any other state.
Approximately 3,000 JCPenney associates have been impacted by this storm and hundreds of thousands of people are currently under mandatory evacuation orders. To aid in recovery efforts, JCPenney, The JCPenney Foundation, and J. C. Penney Company Fund have collectively pledged over $850,000 in donations, supplies and merchandise to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey. This also includes a $500,000 contribution from the J. C. Penney Company Fund to the Golden Rule Relief Fund, a program that provides financial assistance to associates who are dealing with repairing or rebuilding their homes after a natural disaster.
How We’re Helping:
Given the overwhelming need for food, shelter and basic necessities, the J.C. Penney Company Fund has increased its donation to the American Red Cross to $100,000.
Our hometown of Dallas has opened its arms to thousands of evacuees who will be residing in the city until it’s possible to return home. Given reports that Hurricane Harvey evacuees seeking temporary shelter in Dallas have been wearing the same clothes since the disaster occurred, JCPenney dispatched a truck to the Dallas Convention Center to allow evacuees to take advantage of free clothing, underwear, socks and shoes available in all sizes for men, women and children. Additionally, blankets, sheets, towels and wash cloths are being donated to other Dallas-area shelters.
The JCPenney Home Office in Plano hosted a Hurricane Harvey Angel adoption program earlier this week, and associates purchased and donated school uniforms, socks and underwear for 500 Houston-area students who recently enrolled in the Dallas ISD.
A blood drive at the Home Office with Carter BloodCare is planned for Tuesday, September 5.
Taking Care of Our Associates:
We are in the process of identifying impacted associates who may need assistance from the Golden Rule Relief Fund. At this time, we know approximately 3,000 JCPenney associates have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The J. C. Penney Company Fund has committed to a $500,000 grant to the Golden Rule Relief Fund. Furthermore, associates have contributed an additional $250,000 to assist their fellow associates.
We have also designated six of our South Texas stores as distribution points for allocating over $250,000 worth of supplies such as bottled water, non-perishable food items, toiletries, trash bags and more to our associates affected by Hurricane Harvey. Associates are invited to stop by these stores to pick up needed items and, in some cases, we have delivered these items directly to associates’ homes who were unable to travel to one of the designated stores.
Associates will continue to be paid based upon their scheduled hours.
We Are Open for Business:
Approximately 23 JCPenney stores were affected by the storm. Nearly all locations have been re-opened, most with limited hours. As of this blog post, the following locations are open for business and are eager to help their local communities in their recovery efforts:
| Date | School Name | City, State | Mall Name | Event Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept. 19 | Fort Valley State University | Centerville, GA | Houston County Galleria | 4-7 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 20 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi, TX | La Palmera Mall | 3-6 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 20 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Appleton, WI | Fox River Mall | 3:30-5 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 20 | Valdosta State University and Georgia Military College | Valdosta, GA | Valdosta Mall | 5-8 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Sept. 22 | Utah Valley State | Provo, UT | Provo Towne Center | 5-9 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 27 | Missouri Southern State | Joplin, MO | Northpark Mall | 5-8 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 27 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND | Kirkwood Mall | 4-7 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Sept. 29 | Weber State | Riverdale, UT | Riverdale Center | 6-9 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 3 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA | Augusta Mall | 9 a.m. - noon |
| Sunday, Oct. 4 | Eastern Kentucky | Richmond, KY | Richmond Centre | 6:30-9:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 4 | University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and Vista College | Fort Smith, AR | Central Mall | 6-9 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 4 | Wichita State, Friends University, Newman University, Butler Community College | Wichita, KS | Towne East Square | 6-9 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Dixie State University | Saint George, UT | Red Cliffs Mall | 6-9 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Oct. 10 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA | River Ridge Mall | 8-11 a.m. |
| Tuesday, Oct. 10 | Saginaw Valley State University | University Center, MI | Fashion Square Mall | 9 a.m. - noon |
| Wednesday, Oct. 11 | University of Rhode Island | Warwick, RI | Warwick Mall | 6-9 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 18 | Youngstown State University | Niles, OH | Eastwood Mall | Noon - 5 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Indiana Tech | Fort Wayne, IN | Glenbrook Mall | 9 a.m. - noon |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | New Mexico State | Las Cruces, NM | Mesilla Valley Mall | 5-8 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | University of the Cumberlands | Corbin, KY | Trademart Shopping Center | 3-6 p.m. |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | University of Houston at Victoria, Victoria College | Victoria, TX | Victoria Mall | 4-8 p.m. |
The following location remains closed:
| Shopping Center | City | State |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Mall | Victoria | TX |
How Can You Help?
From now through Dec. 15, we will be inviting our customers across the country to round-up their purchases, both in-store and online at jcp.com, to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to the JCPenney Foundation. The JCPenney Foundation will be donating a portion of the funds raised to assist with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
We invite you to join us in our support by donating to the American Red Cross – any amount will make a huge difference in helping our communities, customers and associates through this difficult time.
