JCPenney and the Assistance League® of Greater Collin County (ALGCC) teamed up for a second year this October, to host a shopping-spree for children from under resourced communities– funded solely through ALGCC donations, fundraisers, and grants. Through its Operation School Bell® program, ALGCC provides kids with new clothing, shoes, and health assistance, in hopes of strengthening their confidence at school.
“In most cases, these kids don’t have an opportunity to shop for new clothes,” said Michael Brownlee, sr. manager of commercial sales. “This allows them to really experience what a lot of us take for granted, which is just being able to purchase what we need, when we need it.”
More than 600 elementary-aged children selected by school counselors in Collin County—within North Texas—visited JCPenney Store 2795 in Frisco, Texas. With help from our store cashiers and Assistance League volunteers, the children and their families were able to shop for clothes and shoes with $50,000 in funds, provided by ALGCC. JCPenney also provided additional discounts to help their dollars stretch further.
The Assistance League® of Greater Collin County, a chapter of the national Assistance League, is a nonprofit volunteer organization operating a variety of philanthropic programs.
Partnerships like this are crucial in furthering JCPenney’s philanthropic mission to help close the opportunity gap for children within the local communities where we live and work. JCPenney looks forward to continuing this work with the Assistance League and engaging with chapters across the nation to help support even more kids.
“This reminds me of why I started working at JCPenney,” said Dallas-Fort Worth District Manager Kristi Hendriks-Cheatham. “This community outreach, and to know that we have resources behind this – we’re doing something right.”
