This Hispanic Heritage Month, JCPenney is proud to support Latinx and Hispanic students through a charitable contribution to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation’s largest provider of college information and services for Latinx and Hispanic families.
Through this partnership, JCPenney can assist thousands of middle and high school students from low-income families in preparing, planning, and learning how to pay for college with funds going directly to the HSF College 101 Series. The series features free, bilingual, three-hour college preparation workshops nationwide throughout the year.
Sparking Inclusive Conversations
We also continued our Hispanic Heritage Month conversations among associates through the Latinx and Hispanic Educational & Awareness Team (HEAT) Business Resource Team’s (BRT) virtual Merienda, also known as an afternoon snack, on Oct. 7. Inspiring ¡Unidos Somos Mas! or ‘when we are united, we are more,’ associates were invited to engage in a dialogue around overcoming challenges and sharing their greatest lessons from their upbringing as a Hispanic or Latinx individual. Read inspiring quotes from some of our associates below:
Celebrating her 33rd anniversary working for JCPenney on Nov. 1, Frances Saenz, general manager of Store 0557 in Whittier, Calif., shared “I started with JCPenney as a seasonal associate, and because my managers told me that they believed in me, I started to believe in myself more and grew strong and confident in my job. I am now paying it forward with my team and look to encourage others whenever I can.”
Jose Negron, general manager of Store 2780 in Caguas, Puerto Rico, focused on the importance of family. He said, “I learned from my parents the importance of having honesty and integrity in all that I do. One of our biggest challenges as Hispanics in Puerto Rico is the language barrier. We can grow professionally by focusing on better communication.”
Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month
JCPenney’s commitment to inclusion and diversity extends beyond recognizing an observance. That’s why the HEAT BRT plans to host monthly Meriendas, to continue engaging with associates and support their three main goals to serve the community, celebrate their heritage, and strengthen our relationship with Hispanic and Latinx customers.
This Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year, we encourage all customers and associates to celebrate the culture, traditions, and heritage of the Latinx and Hispanic community.
