TRUE VALUE TURNS UP THE WOW IN CHICAGO
September 24, 2015
CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2015 ‒ While True Value Company was busy turning up the WOW at McCormick Place during its 2015 Fall Reunion, the cooperative was also turning it up outside of the convention center by investing in the community it calls home.
On Sept. 16 – two days before the start of Reunion – nearly 100 True Value volunteers from around the country united in providing building improvements to a Boys & Girls Club in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. The work was part of a five-year, $1.5 million True Value Foundation grant to the club, which has been renamed the True Value Boys & Girls Club in recognition of the cooperative’s ongoing support and engagement with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The grant will support after school programs that promote healthy lifestyles, academic success and character development at the club, located at 2950 W. 25th Street in Chicago.
“True Value’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago spans 35 years. We remain deeply committed to investing in Chicago’s communities and helping kids develop the character strength they need to succeed in life,” said President of True Value Foundation Brent Burger.
In celebration of the new club partnership, community members, club kids and True Value volunteers gathered together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a neighborhood carnival. Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia thanked True Value for investing the time and resources to help the club continue to make a difference in the Little Village neighborhood, home to the one the largest Mexican-American communities in the U.S.
Director of True Value Boys & Girls Club Hermilo Hinojosa wrapped up the event by emphasizing, “True Value Foundation is the kind of partner every club wants, providing not only a generous grant but also putting in volunteer time, mentorship and hard work that our clubs need to best serve youth and strengthen our communities.”
True Value’s community service didn’t stop there. Following the close of the show floor on Sept. 20, more than 75 local Habitat for Humanity volunteers worked through the night at McCormick Place to pack up hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of donated display items to benefit Habitat ReStores in the Chicago and Northern Fox Valley communities.
“At True Value, our values are at the core of who we are as a business and a brand. One of those values is stewardship. We are committed to contributing positively to our communities, and product donation is one way we’re giving back in the Chicago and Northern Fox Valley areas. We have a constructive partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We share our mutual home improvement expertise for the good of the community” said President and CEO John Hartmann.
About True Value Company
True Value Company, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world’s largest retailer-owned wholesale hardware cooperatives with gross billings of over $2.0 billion and revenue of $1.5 billion in 2014. The True Value cooperative includes approximately 4,400 independent retailer locations worldwide operating under the store identities of True Value, Grand Rental Station, Taylor Rental, Party Central, Home & Garden Showplace and Induserve Supply. Additional information on True Value and its retail identities is available at www.truevaluecompany.com.