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Kohl’s Donates $1 million to Penfield Children’s Center for Kohl’s Building Blocks Program to Help Milwaukee Kids

Kohl’s continues steadfast support of children’s health and education initiatives

Kohl’s Donates $1 million to Penfield Children’s Center for Kohl’s Building Blocks Program to Help Milwaukee Kids

Kohl’s continues steadfast support of children’s health and education initiatives

Published 12-02-09

Submitted by Kohl's Department Stores

Kohl's Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) is partnering with Penfield Children's Center and donating $1 million over three years to create Kohl's Building Blocks Program. This program will help victims of child abuse, young children with behavioral problems or children with significant disabilities by providing access to specialized educational and developmental services through Penfield. The donation comes from Kohl's philanthropic program, Kohl's Cares for Kids®, which sells special merchandise, including plush toys and books, and donates 100 percent of the net profit to benefit children's health and education initiatives nationwide.

"Penfield, right here in our hometown, does amazing work providing important developmental services for infants and young children. Kohl's is pleased to be in a position to support such a valuable service for kids here in the Milwaukee area," said Julie Gardner, Kohl's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "We value our long-standing relationship with Penfield, and this new program is creating additional services and resources for children who need care."

Penfield Children's Center works with 1,400 Milwaukee children each year providing early intervention therapy services, Milwaukee's largest Special Care Nursery, a one-of-a-kind Behavior Clinic and Family and Parent programs. Approximately 90 percent of all families enrolled at Penfield are living below the poverty line.

"This $1 million gift is an incredible tribute to our long-standing partnership with Kohl's and the collective work we do in the Milwaukee community," said Christine Holmes, president and CEO of Penfield Children's Center. "Through this new program, our shared commitment will once again help ensure a brighter future for thousands of vulnerable children and families. We are honored to be partnering with Kohl's to bring this important program to life."

The three-year Kohl's Building Blocks Program will create an integrated model of specialized professional support combined with quality resources and early learning materials that specifically support the complex needs of young children who have significant behavioral problems, have been victims of abuse or neglect or have a significant disability limiting development, including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, birth abnormalities or traumatic injuries.

The Kohl's Building Blocks Program consists of three main components:


  • The Kohl's Child Development Library where children and families will have access to books, specialized equipment and resources to "check out" and take home to help facilitate development.

  • The Kohl's Early Learning Toolbox full of learning tools and resources that children and families can keep to take home and help aid in developmental practices on a daily basis.

  • Three new Kohl's Child Development Specialist positions created for specialists with expertise and experience working specifically with children who have behavioral, abuse or disabilities challenges.

Since 2000, Kohl's has given nearly $15.6 million to support charitable initiatives in the metro-Milwaukee area including approximately $1.2 million to Penfield. This latest donation to Penfield comes on the heels of a $225,000 donation, announced in September, from the Kohl’s Cares for Kids Program to Hunger Task Force to create a supper meal program for students in Milwaukee. The one-year program will feed 2,775 students each day. Kohl's has also given $1 million to the Milwaukee Art Museum to fund the recently opened youth art education program, Kohl's Art Generation. Also in the Milwaukee-area, for the past ten years, the Kohl's Cares for Kids program has supported Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Last year, the hospital received $725,000. For more information on Kohl's philanthropic efforts, visit www.kohlscorporation.com.

For more information on the Kohl's Building Blocks program, visit www.penfieldchildren.org. To purchase Kohl's Cares for Kids® merchandise, visit any Kohl's store or shop online at www.kohls.com.



About Kohl's
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl's operates 1,059 stores in 49 states. A company committed to the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $126 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares for Kids® philanthropic program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

About Penfield Children's Center
Penfield Children's Center, located in Milwaukee, Wis., is a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to help infants and young children with and without disabilities reach their full potential through education, therapy services and family programs. The organization is named in honor of Dr. Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), a world-renowned neurosurgeon who strongly advocated early intervention for children with developmental delays and disabilities. Penfield serves over 1,400 children with and without special needs every year through programs including: a one of a kind Behavior Clinic, the community's oldest and largest Special Care Nursery, Early Intervention Services, and an Accredited Child Care. For more information please visit www.penfieldchildren.org.

Kohl's Department Stores logo

Kohl's Department Stores

Kohl's Department Stores

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $231 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (facebook.com/Kohls) or Twitter (twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (pinterest.com/Kohls) and Instagram (instagram.com/Kohls).

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