Merrillville, IN (May 19, 2009) –
Visitors walking in and out of the DirectBuy Corporate Headquarters in Merrillville were a little surprised to see employees so casually dressed on Friday, April 10, 2009. Wearing denim is not acceptable work attire for employees, but what visitors did not know was that DirectBuy employees were donning denim for a great cause. As part of a new corporate giving program, employees were given the opportunity to wear jeans to work in exchange for making a minimum $2 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana (BGCNWI). As a result, DirectBuy raised $1000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana.
The donation provided by DirectBuy helps Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana to continue offering services to area youth. “Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana is able to provide its programs and services because of the generosity of donors and volunteers, such as the employees of DirectBuy,” says Greg Reinholt, development manager, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana.
DirectBuy’s Patti Titus, senior director of merchandise services, and Sara Shragal, public relations manager, visited the Boys & Girls Club in Merrillville on April 21, 2009 to present the $1000 check and meet the children and volunteers who will benefit from the donation. During their visit, Titus and Shragal toured the facility and stayed to lend a hand with math worksheets.
At the Boys & Girls Clubs, homework is a top priority, followed by educational learning activities, computer education, physical fitness and games room activities. The Club also teaches classes about leadership, and making good choices.
“The DirectBuy concept really goes hand-in-hand with the values of the Boys & Girls Clubs,” says Titus. “Both programs are focused on helping families achieve a better quality of life.”
Giving back to the community has become a regular activity for DirectBuy clubs across North America. At the corporate office, employees give to the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Foundation each year, but with the new corporate giving program in place, DirectBuy plans on making a donation each quarter of the year.
For the employees at DirectBuy, like merchandise specialist, Pattie Jakubielski, the new program is a welcome addition. “It was definitely fun to see co-workers wearing their favorite pair of jeans,” said Jakubielski. “But the best part is that the donations are helping local youth.”
About DirectBuy
For more than 37 years, DirectBuy has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy offers its members access to approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers and their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers and authorized suppliers in Canada.
Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy’s savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com
About Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Indiana
BGCNWI was founded in 1954 in Gary, Indiana. Currently BGCNWI operates six Club sites in six cities throughout Lake County Indiana. Serving more than 12,000 youth ages 6 to 18 years of age, BGCNWI provide Club programs and services that promote and enhance the positive development of boys & girls. The core belief of the organization, Board of Directors, staff, and donors is that all six Club sites provide youth with a safe place to learn and grow, teach youth to develop interpersonal relationships, to provide youth with life-enhancing programs and character and development experiences and last but not least to continue providing youth with hope and opportunity. For more information about BGCNWI visit (www.bgcnwi.org).
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