This holiday season, as shoppers seek the ideal gift for their loved ones, the Shopko Foundation is giving back to the hometown communities it serves.

For every signature Shopko Hometown in Dowagiac receives between Dec. 1 and Dec. 24, the Shopko Foundation will make a $1 donation to Dowagiac Union Schools (up to $2,000 per store) as part of its Help Us Give Back initiative, a program that is being run in all 219 store locations across the country.

Customers can sign up once a day, every day, and show their support; no donation or purchase is required.

“At Shopko Hometown, we believe kids count,” said John Harmeyer, Shopko Hometown store manager. “The Help Us Give Back campaign is an easy and free way for local residents to raise money to support programs that are important to a child’s educational experience. Given our community’s strong commitment to its children, I fully expect we will quickly reach 2,000 signatures in our store well before the Dec. 24 deadline.”

Leaders of the Shopko Foundation say they are proud of Shopko’s roots as a retail health and optical care provider. To maximize its impact, the foundation has a narrow focus of giving on areas that support the health of Shopko customers, teammates and communities.  Recognizing that education is fundamental to an individual’s health and functionality in society, the foundation has developed the Help Us Give Back program to provide critical support to schools across the country, while raising awareness to the budgetary challenges many districts face.

To achieve its vision, the Shopko Foundation believes in supporting community projects, with funds raised supporting established nonprofit organizations with a proven record of success in maintaining solid, vital programs or innovative new organizations and programs supported by established non-profits or successful leadership.

During last year’s program, the Shopko Foundation donated more than $310,000 to school districts across America. This year, if all 219 stores reach their 2,000 signature goal, the Shopko Foundation will have donated more than $430,000.

Follow Shopko at Facebook.com/Shopko.

 

About Shopko

Shopko is owned by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a leading private investment firm focused on leverage buyouts, equity, debt, and other investments in market-leading companies.