Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s has renewed its support of three local nonprofit organizations, pledging to give $3 million in total to Penfield Children’s Center, Discovery World and Hunger Task Force.
The three Milwaukee-based organizations are part of the retailer’s Hometown Partnerships program, through which Kohl’s supports local nonprofits that provide access to art and culture, health and social services and promote economic empowerment and neighborhood development.
“At Kohl’s, our Milwaukee-area roots are a source of pride and we believe it’s vital to give back in order to make a difference in our community,” said Tara Geiter, director of community relations for Kohl’s. “We are excited to be renewing our commitment to Penfield Children’s Center, Discovery World and Hunger Task Force, all of which strive to make a positive impact on families throughout the Milwaukee community. We thank each of these organizations and look forward to expanding these hometown partnerships in the years to come.”
A three-year grant to Penfield will support the Kohl’s Building Blocks program, which is designed to address early childhood needs by supporting child development specialists, a lending library and early learning toolkits. Penfield will also work to implement new measures to engage staff, parents and caregivers through new technology advancements, Kohl’s said.
The Discovery World grant will support its Kohl’s Design It! Lab, which allows visitors to engage in hands-on, project-based activities that they can take home with them. The space includes a rotating array of projects, such as the Kids Corner and a wall of upcycled materials. The lab will continue to engage the community through its weekend open lab, Design Futurists Internship program and weekday school and educational groups, Kohl’s said.
Hunger Task Force will use the funding to support food bank operations, infrastructure, staffing and equipment. The donation will also allow HTF to purchase pallets and/or truckloads of milk, greens, jasmine rice and basmati rice to address the cultural needs of the service population and shortfalls in its MyPlate allocation. HTF will also be able to support a full-time Summer Suppers for Kids, purchasing a third supper meal to ensure three meals a day for children in need outside of daycares and elementary schools.
