TORONTO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) today announced the launch of its new HBC Foundation in the United States. In conjunction, the company announced a new philanthropic focus on mental health programs in North America, through the new HBC Foundation in the U.S. and the existing Foundation in Canada. The launch of the new U.S. Foundation enables the HBC Foundation to broaden its impact across North America.
The HBC Foundation has pledged to raise $6 million (Canadian) over the next three years to support mental health programs that provide education, access, research and empowerment. With its new focus, the Foundation will place particular emphasis on teens and young adults during a period that is critical for mental health support and services.
“At HBC, giving back is essential to who we are, and we always strive to make an impact that will benefit our associates, customers, and the communities we serve,” said Richard Baker, Governor and Executive Chairman, Hudson’s Bay Company. “We are proud to dedicate the efforts of the HBC Foundation to mental health advocacy, which we know will have far-reaching results.”
“HBC has a long history of charitable giving, and the launch of the new HBC Foundation in the U.S. will help us expand our reach,” said Jerry Storch, Chief Executive Officer, Hudson’s Bay Company, and President, HBC Foundation. “We’re proud to focus our philanthropic efforts around the critical issue of mental health, and to help support research and improve access to care across North America.”
To support its new focus, HBC has launched the HBC Foundation’s HEADFIRST program, centered on mental health issues among teens and young adults. Through this program, the Foundation will partner with leading mental health organizations, including The Jed Foundation and Bring Change 2 Mind in the United States, and Children’s Aid Foundation and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation in Canada.
“Protecting the emotional health of teens and young adults is vital to helping them grow into healthy adults,” said John MacPhee, Executive Director and CEO, The Jed Foundation. “Our partnership with the HBC Foundation’s HEADFIRST program will help us ensure that more young people get access to the resources and support they need to navigate life’s challenges.”
“We are dedicated to improving the lives of youth in Canada’s child welfare system, including those who are about to ‘age out’ of care, often the most stressful time of their lives,” said Valerie McMurtry, President & CEO, Children’s Aid Foundation. “With the support of the HBC Foundation and its HEADFIRST program, we’re excited to establish the HBC Youth in Transition Mental Health Fund, an ongoing program to provide vital therapy and counseling for young adults in three cities, with the possibility for expansion in coming years.”
The HBC Foundation in Canada is one of the country’s leading charitable organizations, and will continue its longstanding and well-known initiatives with the Canadian Olympic Foundation and Paralympic Foundation of Canada through Hudson’s Bay. Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Gilt will also continue to support their existing charitable programs, in addition to new mental health efforts through the HBC Foundation.
In conjunction with the launch of the new U.S. HBC Foundation and the company’s commitment to mental health programs in North America, Jerry Storch, Chief Executive Officer, Hudson’s Bay Company, and President, HBC Foundation, will introduce a panel on mental health at the Town & Country Philanthropy Summit on May 9, 2017.
For more information on the HBC Foundation, please visit: www.hbc.com/HBCfoundation
ABOUT HBC FOUNDATION
Established in Canada in 2005 and in the U.S.
in 2017, the HBC Foundation is the North American charitable arm of
Hudson’s Bay Company, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world.
The foundation is a Canadian registered charity and a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to improving lives by
enhancing physical and mental health through education, access,
research, and empowerment. By channeling the collective power of HBC’s
banners North America, including Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth
Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH and Gilt.com, the foundation helps to transform the
mental health landscape.
ABOUT HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY
Hudson’s Bay Company is one of the
fastest-growing department store retailers in the world, based on its
successful formula of driving the performance of high quality stores and
their all-channel offerings, unlocking the value of real estate holdings
and growing through acquisitions. Founded in 1670, HBC is the oldest
company in North America. HBC’s portfolio today includes ten banners, in
formats ranging from luxury to better department stores to off price
fashion shopping destinations, with more than 470 stores and 66,000
employees around the world.
In North America, HBC’s leading banners include Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gilt, and Saks OFF 5TH. In Europe, its banners include GALERIA Kaufhof, the largest department store group in Germany, Belgium’s only department store group Galeria INNO, as well as Sportarena.
HBC has significant investments in real estate joint ventures. It has partnered with Simon Property Group Inc. in the HBS Global Properties Joint Venture, which owns properties in the United States and Germany. In Canada, it has partnered with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust in the RioCan-HBC Joint Venture.
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