Kohl’s Department Stores to Donate $2 Million to Nonprofits Nationwide through 4th Annual National Go Green Volunteer Event
Kohl’s associates from coast to coast will give back in their communities by supporting youth-serving nonprofits in celebration of National Volunteer Week and Earth Day
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) and thousands of its associates are celebrating National Volunteer Week and Earth Day by volunteering in their local communities during the company’s fourth annual National Go Green Event. Through Kohl’s associate volunteer program, Associates in Action, Kohl’s volunteers will support youth-serving nonprofit organizations by participating in an environmentally-based activity. In addition to providing a team of volunteers to complete a project, Kohl’s will donate corporate grants to each organization. Through this initiative, Kohl’s will donate $2 million in grants to nonprofits nationwide for the fourth year in a row.
“Kohl’s National Go Green Event brings together our commitment to giving back and to environmental responsibility in a way that is meaningful for our associates and our communities”
“Kohl’s National Go Green Event brings together our commitment to giving back and to environmental responsibility in a way that is meaningful for our associates and our communities,” said John Worthington, Kohl’s chief administrative officer. “Since we started the program four years ago, we have donated more than $6 million in grants to local nonprofits in addition to thousands of associates volunteering their time during the month of April. We are proud of our associates’ efforts to make a positive impact where they live and work and once again look forward to each and every one of our more than 1,100 locations participating as they did last year.”
In April, groups of Kohl’s associates will be volunteering across the country for events including:
- planting a sustainable garden and installing a rainwater harvest system for the Saratoga County Historical Society in Ballston Spa, N.Y.
- planting, weeding, chipping, constructing and more to support an urban farm and community gardens with Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wis.
- combing beaches for trash and debris to provide a safe and beautiful habitat in Sandy Hook, N.J.
- cleaning up the Austin Zoo campus to support children’s environmental education in Austin, Texas
- constructing houses and landscaping with Habitat for Humanity in Edgewood, Md.
Kohl’s Cares – Committed to Giving Back
Since 2001, Kohl’s associates nationwide have participated in volunteer activities through the Associates in Action volunteer program. When associates form teams of five or more to support a local youth-serving charity, the company supports the team’s participation with a corporate grant given directly to the nonprofit. Since 2001:
- nearly 670,000 associates have volunteered
- Kohl’s has executed more than 114,000 volunteer events
- more than 2.2 million volunteer hours were completed
- more than $63 million was donated to local nonprofits
Associates in Action is part of Kohl’s overall philanthropic platform, Kohl’s Cares®, which also includes the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program, Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program, Kohl’s Cares fundraising gift card program, partnerships with more than 160 hospitals nationwide and Kohl’s Cares: Advancing Environmental Solutions.
Kohl’s Cares – Committed to Environmental Responsibility
In addition to supporting environmentally-based volunteer activities during the National Go Green Event, Kohl’s strives to be a leading environmentally responsible retailer through strategies that include sustainable operations, stakeholder engagement and supply chain collaboration. Key initiatives include:
- Use and Support of Renewable Energy – Kohl’s offsets 100 percent of its companywide energy use through the purchase of renewable energy credits and through on-site energy generation at more than 130 solar locations and two wind locations. For 2012, Kohl’s purchased more than 1.5 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy and ranked first in retail, second overall and second among Fortune 500 companies on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s quarterly rankings of top green power purchasers. As a result of these efforts, Kohl’s was named a recipient of the Sustained Excellence in Green Power Award by EPA in 2012.
- Energy Efficiency / ENERGY STAR – Kohl's has more than 750 ENERGY STAR-certified locations – nearly two-thirds of the company’s stores. In 2012 and 2013, Kohl’s was honored with EPA’s ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence for its long-term commitment to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency initiatives.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – More than 300 Kohl’s locations, including corporate buildings and stores, have earned LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Characteristics of stores built to LEED guidelines, which provide best practices for the design, construction and operation for high-performance green buildings, include: use of recycled and regionally sourced building materials, water-efficient landscaping and plumbing fixtures and the use of ENERGY STAR-rated roofs, among others.
- Electric Vehicle Charging Stations – Sixty Kohl’s locations across 16 states have electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for EV drivers to charge at no cost while they shop.
- Vendor Assessments / Supply Chain Sustainability – In 2012, Kohl’s reviewed all merchandise vendors on six key sustainability categories, while non-merchandise vendors were scored on five. Categories included: management / policy, energy / climate, waste management, packaging, partnerships and supply chain sustainability. This information provides Kohl’s with insight into the business and opportunities of partners and helps the company shape interactions in a collaborative, voluntary format. In addition, Kohl’s hosts webinars and in-person roundtables to improve vendor knowledge and performance surrounding key sustainability programs.
For more information about Kohl’s community commitment, visit www.Kohls.com/Cares and www.KohlsGreen.com.
About Kohl’s
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $231 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Kohls) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/Kohls) and Instagram (http://instagram.com/Kohls).
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