Donation connects Wisconsin communities to cancer education and resources
Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) announced today a more than $2 million donation to the American Cancer Society (ACS) over the next three years to further engage communities in cancer prevention, improve cancer screening rates, and support cancer survivors. Kohl’s partnership with ACS is built around the Kohl’s Healthy Families program, which supports the reduction of cancer risk for families in southeastern Wisconsin by increasing access to healthy foods and improving opportunities to become more active.
“The American Cancer Society does incredible work to help cancer patients, survivors, and their families navigate diagnosis and treatment every day. The organization is also working diligently to increase access to preventative tools and resources that build awareness for the importance of cancer screenings and on ways to minimize risk through healthy lifestyle choices,” said Christie Raymond, Kohl’s chief marketing officer. “Kohl’s is proud to be in a position to deepen our partnership with ACS, which will connect even more individuals and families in our community to crucial cancer education and programming and increase survivorship rates.”
“The American Cancer Society is so grateful for our partnership with Kohl’s,” said Elisabeth Thomsen, American Cancer Society Wisconsin executive director. “Together, we are addressing cancer disparities through the Kohl’s Healthy Families program to improve access and opportunities for individuals in under-resourced communities to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.”
Connecting Underserved Communities to Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Resources
As a component of their continued partnership, Kohl’s and ACS are proud to announce this year’s recipients of the Healthy Eating & Active Living (HEAL) Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Community Grants. The HEAL Community Grants aim to reach underserved individuals and families with culturally tailored community education about the link between healthy eating and active living to reduce cancer risk. Workshops will be held by grant recipients in a variety of neighborhoods in southeastern Wisconsin and provide participants with tools and resources to make small changes to prevent cancer, reduce cancer recurrence, and improve quality of life. Previous community education workshops have helped participants grow a garden, connect at a neighborhood walking club, prepare a healthy meal together, or try a yoga class for the first time.
Through Kohl’s support, ACS will partner with more than 30 local organizations over three years to implement these evidence-based HEAL Community Grants. This year’s recipients are:
HEAL Cancer Prevention Grantees
- Casa Guadalupe Education Center
- CORE El Centro
- Cross Lutheran Church Milwaukee
- Kenosha YMCA
- Milwaukee Catholic Home
- Perseverance Health and Wellness Coaching, LLC
- Running Rebels Community Organization
- Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Inc
HEAL Cancer Survivorship Grantees
- Aurora Team Phoenix Cancer Care Survivorship Program
- Divine Intervention Fitness, LLC
- Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Inc.
- Tricia’s Troops Cancer Connection
One of this year’s recipients, Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, aims to provide the Asian American community with communication, education and outreach on chronic diseases and cancer issues, address barriers to healthcare access, and encourage screenings and follow-up with clients and physicians.
“Our mission is to engage the Southeast Asian American community with health education, navigation to overcome barriers to accessing health care screenings, and support through treatment should they receive a diagnosis,” said Mayhoua Moua, Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Inc. executive director. “As a cancer survivor, I know the importance of getting additional support. We are grateful for this funding, so that we can provide our community culturally competent cancer survivorship programming and resources.”
Kohl’s and ACS have supported 30 local organizations with HEAL grants since 2019. With ACS’s emphasis on increasing cancer survivorship rates, HEAL Grants were expanded to include organizations specializing in survivorship in 2022.
Deepening Resources for Community Engagement and Education Across Southeast Wisconsin
Kohl’s funding will also support forums and projects to address food insecurity among cancer patients, the creation of new educational webinars for cancer patients and survivors, professional development for community health workers, and a collaborative that will convene health systems to help re-engage patients in cancer screenings. Additionally, the donation will provide sponsorship and support of Relay For Life.
The Kohl’s Healthy Families program, which was created in 2015, continues to build partnerships with community organizations to deliver culturally relevant, evidence-based programming to support families through cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Since inception, the program has reached more than 135,000 people with cancer prevention education and resources, nearly 30,000 people have received screening assistance and treatment navigation, and 18,000 people have received support after diagnosis.
Since 2009, Kohl’s has donated nearly $16 million to ACS. Additionally, Kohl’s associates nationwide have volunteered more than 11,500 hours in support of ACS and the organization’s mission since 2018.
For more than 60 years, Kohl’s has been a proud member of the Milwaukee community. In support of its hometown, the company has given more than $152 million to nonprofits in the Greater Milwaukee area. In addition to long-standing hometown partnerships with nonprofits who are making a difference in the community every day, Kohl’s also gives back through its Hometown Giving Program, and recognizes associate volunteer efforts for causes and organizations they care about through the Kohl’s Volunteer Program. To learn more, please visit Corporate.Kohls.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “may,” “intends,” “will,” “should,” “expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s then current views and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks described more fully in Item 1A in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, and other factors as may periodically be described in the Company’s filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements relate to the date initially made, and Kohl’s undertakes no obligation to update them.
About Kohl’s
Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a leading omnichannel retailer. With more than 1,100 stores in 49 states and the online convenience of Kohls.com and the Kohl's App, Kohl's offers amazing national and private brands at incredible savings for families nationwide. Kohl’s is committed to progress in its diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, and the company's environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) stewardship. For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit Kohls.com. For more information about Kohl’s impact in the community or how to join our winning team, visit Corporate.Kohls.com.
About The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Contacts
Kohl’s: Jackie Judkins, jacquelyn.judkins@kohls.com
American Cancer Society: Amy Haynes, amy.haynes@cancer.org
