BJ's Charitable Foundation announced today that it has exceeded $10 million in charitable contributions after its recent donation of $530,379 to 71 nonprofits located in the communities BJ's serves. The nonprofit recipients align with the Foundation's focus of providing services in the form of hunger prevention, self-sufficiency, health care, or education to those in need.

"Giving back has always been at the very core of BJ's culture, and reaching this $10 million giving milestone in just five years though our Foundation is a true reflection of the company's emphasis on this principal value," said Jessica Newman, manager of community relations for BJ's Wholesale Club."

Below is a list by state of the 71 organizations that received grants through BJ's Charitable Foundation.

CONNECTICUT
Community Action Committee of Danbury (Danbury) - $5,000 to purchase food for its Food Pantry whose main goal is to supply low-income individuals and families with enough meals for a three-day period, once a month.

Foodshare, Inc. (Bloomfield) - $10,000 to pay for the salaries of two food delivery drivers and one warehouse worker from the Produce Recovery and Mobile Foodshare programs, which distributes nutritious produce to low-income families. Foodshare is the only food bank serving Hartford and Tolland counties and distributes more than 12 million pounds of food annually to nearly 350 nonprofit social services, including daycare centers, emergency shelters, and food pantries.

Gifts of Love, Inc. (Avon) - $10,000 to purchase food for the Food Pantry Program, which enables families who are subsisting on one income to "shop" for a week's worth of food once per month by appointment. Last year, the Food Pantry Program gave out 9,436 bags of food.

Leadership Education and Athletics In Partnership, Inc. (New Haven) - $5,000 to support the program salary for the counselors and complete training as well as to purchase summer materials for the Children and Youth Development Program. The Children's Program is for kids ages 7-12 and the Youth Development Program is for kids ages 13-15 who serve as Leaders in Training.

New Haven Diaper Bank, Inc. (New Haven) - $10,000 to purchase diapers for the Diaper Bank Distribution Network, which links to the Diaper Bank's warehouse to each of the agencies they supply with diapers. On average, the Diaper Bank distributes 200,000 diapers each month to needy families in Greater New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport. It has distributed more than six million diapers since it opened in 2004.

FLORIDA
Adult Literacy League, Inc. (Orlando) - $5,000 to fund the cost of recruiting, training and purchasing supplies for 35 new adult learners in the One-to-One Tutoring program. Working with trained volunteers, the program helps adults improve their literacy, which in turn leads to increased job options and opportunities to become self-sufficient.

Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. (Jacksonville) - $15,000 to purchase food to be distributed through the Hunger Relief Food Pantry Program. Through the Food Pantry, a three-day supply of food items is distributed to individuals and families who have a place to store and prepare food. Funding will be used to provide 3,699 meals during a twelve-month period.

Catholic Charities of Central Florida, Inc. (Orlando) - $15,000 to purchase supplies for Free Clinic Program, equally allocated at three clinics: Lazarus Free Medical Clinic, St. Thomas Aquinas Free Medical Clinic and St. Luke's Medical Clinic. The clinics support uninsured and underinsured adults and children who are living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level within nine counties in Central Florida.

Children's Harbor, Inc. (Pembroke Pines) - $5,000 to purchase food for Residential Services Program serving children from abusive or neglectful homes and pregnant teens referred by the State Foster Care System.

Cooperative Feeding Program (Fort Lauderdale) - $10,000 to purchase food for the Emergency Food Program that includes both a food pantry and hot meal program. The nonprofit serves approximately 83,000 individuals annually.

Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, Inc. (Tampa) - $5,000 to pay for stipends for low-income senior volunteers as part of the Bridging Generations through Literacy Program. This program engages seniors as tutors in developing the literacy skills of at-risk, K-3 grade students. Each volunteer tutors 3-5 students each day through one-on-one sessions lasting about 30 minutes. Last year, roughly 95% of student participants showed improvement in literacy skills.

The Broward Education Foundation (Fort Lauderdale) - $5,000 to purchase school supplies and fund the delivery expenses at the Kids in Need Resource Center, which provides free school items for high-poverty schools. During the 2008-2009 school year, 1,304 teachers "shopped" for school supplies at the Kids in Need Resource Center, benefiting 46,123 students.

GEORGIA
MedShare International (Decatur) - $5,000 to pay the salary for the Program Coordinator for the MedTeam Store that provides medical supplies to metro Atlanta clinics that belong to the Georgia Free Clinic Network, a network serving 1.7 million uninsured, low-income individuals. The Program Coordinator's responsibilities include processing and approving applications for service, assisting clinics in selecting the supplies that best meet their needs, processing payments, and more.

Operation REACH, Inc. (Atlanta) - $4,000 to support the purchase of educational supplies for Gulfsouth Youth Action Corps. The Action Corps was created in 2006 to address the shortage of quality out of school time to service learning and leadership development activities for at-risk urban youth ages 12 and under.

Our House, Inc. (Decatur) - $5,000 to support the purchase of transportation (MARTA cards) and food for the Family Advocacy Program as well as payment of family assistance funds. Our House provides quality, early-childhood education and comprehensive support services for homeless families. Eligible families reside in emergency shelters or transitional housing and benefit from free childcare on weekdays, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Project Open Hand Atlanta, Inc. (Atlanta) - $15,000 toward the purchase of raw food materials for the Comprehensive Nutrition Care program, where recipients receive nutrition education and have access to dietitians who provide instruction on topics such as portion control, healthy eating, hands-on food preparation, physical activity, goal setting and self management. The grant will provide food sufficient for the production of 4,546 meals. Open Hand serves more than 5,000 metropolitan Atlanta residents annually with 93% living at or below the poverty level.

Senior Citizen Services of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc. (Atlanta) - $10,000 to support the purchase of food for Meals on Wheels Atlanta whose goals are to improve nutrition among senior participants regardless of personal circumstances, and to increase seniors' feeling of connectedness to their communities. Approximately 100,000 meals each year are delivered.

S.H.A.R.E House, Inc. (Douglasville) - $10,000 to purchase food and materials for the S.H.A.R.E. House Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter. The Shelter supports nearly 300 homeless women and their children each year fleeing from domestic violence or in need of emergency assistance and support services.

Think on These Things Ministries International (Atlanta) - $10,000 to purchase non-perishable food items for Feed My Sheep Food Distribution Program. The program organizes volunteers to transport food from donors to ten distribution points in Atlanta. The nonprofit serves approximately 800 clients per year.

MAINE
Community Concepts, Inc. (Auburn) - $10,000 to support transportation services for the Homeless/Veteran's Transportation Program. The program provides transportation to critical medical appointments, mental health counseling and other human service appointments for the homeless and veterans. Last year, their volunteers donated more than 600,000 trips to bring individuals to these appointments, which totaled more than 14 million miles.

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center Inc. (Boston) - $3,000 to provide supplies and materials for the English as a Second Language (ESOL) and the Tutoring Involvement Program for immigrant Asian-American children ages 11-18. ESOL offers beginner and intermediate classes during the school year and summer. The Tutoring Involvement Program provides academic and homework assistance where students are placed in small groups of two to three for tutoring in the subjects in which they need help.

Citizens for Citizens, Inc. (CFC) (Fall River) - $10,000 to purchase food for the CFC Food Pantry, serving low-income families. For households in need, food is available once every 30 days, as long as a donation supply is available. Currently the Food Pantry provides bags of food to more than 450 low-income Greater Fall River households (representing over 600 individuals) each month.

City on a Hill Foundation, Inc. (Roxbury) - $5,000 to purchase supplies and materials for CoaHCORPS Tutorial Program. CoaHCORPS is a small group tutorial program that provides literacy and numeracy skills-based tutoring for all 240 students in grades 9-11 at City on a Hill. CoaHCORPS tutors are college graduates who have committed to doing a year of service in urban education. Students work with their tutors on literacy and numeracy skills, one hour each day, five days each week, for the entire school year.

Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center, Inc. (Allston) - $5,000 to support its Food Voucher Project that assists low-income families with a focus on children who have nutritional problems and are unable to afford fresh produce. The grant will provide 330 food vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables, which patients and families use at the organization’s produce vendor. An on-site dietician also recommends the best food options to patients with obesity, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

May Institute, Inc. (Randolph) - $5,000 to purchase educational materials and supplies for the Literacy Enhancement Initiative, which is designed to help students learn to read. May Institute provides behavioral care, education and rehabilitation to children, adults and seniors with developmental, neurological, behavioral, learning and psychiatric disabilities.

Notre Dame Education Center (NDEC) (South Boston) - $5,000 to purchase curriculum for The NDEC Literacy Program serving about 200 students, ages 16-70, per year. The program provides free classes and support services to low income individuals to help them attain basic skills and credentials needed to gain employment.

The Home for Little Wanderers (Boston) - $10,000 to purchase curriculum and supplies as well as to pay a portion of non-administrative, program staff salaries for the Baird Center School. The School is a residential special education school located in Plymouth that annually serves 80 troubled adolescent boys ages 10-16, who are typically two to four years behind their grade levels.

United Way of Greater New Bedford (New Bedford) - $5,000 to purchase supplemental food as well as diesel fuel for the Hunger Commission of Southeastern MA program. The Hunger Commission provides much-needed food to local pantries, soup kitchens and shelters and collaborates with YMCA Southcoast Sharing the Harvest, a community farm where last year they harvested 20,000 pounds of produce on 1.5 acres.

MARYLAND
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland (Baltimore) - $5,000 to fund the salaries for the Match Support Specialists in the One-to-One Community Mentoring Program and the Bigs in School Program. In the One-to-One mentoring program, Big Brothers and Big Sisters provide children with individualized time and attention on a regular basis. The Bigs in School program uses community, college and corporate volunteers to mentor children in schools. Volunteers and children meet regularly during the school year.

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore (Baltimore) - $5,000 to purchase food and kitchen supplies for the Beans and Bread Day Resource Program that assists people experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty. The program provides meals, day respite, intensive case management and housing placement, and serves close to 100,000 meals each year and 300 individuals daily.

YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (Arnold) - $10,000 to purchase healthy snacks, educational supplies and field trips for the Turning Point Program. This after-school program serves 60 academically and behaviorally challenged students and it strives to ensure continued progress in high school. Activities include homework help, life skills and cultural enrichment opportunities with a parental-involvement component.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Women's Information Service, Inc. (WISE) (Lebanon) - $10,000 to pay for the purchase of food. WISE has a mission to empower victims of domestic and sexual violence to become safe and self-reliant through crisis intervention and support services.

NEW JERSEY
Catholic Charities Diocese of Camden (Camden) - $5,000 to fund the partial salary of the social worker as well as supplies and food for its school-based Family Support program. The program has worked to prevent child abuse and neglect by providing counseling, clinical support and other services to low-income, school-aged children and their families for 13 years. A social worker will teach parenting skills to strengthen the parent-child relationship and encourage achievement in school.

Catholic Social Services of Morris County Inc. (Dover) - $5,000 to partially support the purchase of a vehicle for the Hope House Food Pantry Program. The Hope House Food Pantry relies solely on volunteers and in 2009, they benefitted from more than 6,000 hours of volunteer services. The majority of food that is distributed is donated by the community.

Family Promise of Monmouth County (Keansburg) - $5,000 to pay a case manager's program salary working at The Family Promise Day Center, which is the hub of Emergency Shelter Services. The case manager assists homeless families with job training, life skills and parenting skills services. Family Promise expects to serve 15 families this year, and has a success rate of 80% moving into and staying in permanent housing.

HomeFront, Inc. (Lawrenceville) - $15,000 to purchase food for its emergency food bags for working, low-income homeless families with children. Requests for the emergency food bags have doubled in the past year from 500 food bags per month to 1,000, due to the current economic crisis. Once a month, clients may receive an emergency food bag filled with a week's supply of products from its food pantry.

Isaiah House (East Orange) - $15,000 to purchase supplies for its Food Pantry and Hot Meals Programs. The Food Pantry distributes food and nutritional supplies to any family in need. The Hot Meals Program provides lunch and dinner five days a week. This grant will provide food and supplies to feed 150 additional families per month.

Jewish Renaissance Foundation, Inc. (Perth Amboy) - $12,000 to partially cover the costs of medical equipment for the Center for Health Access for Children Everywhere (CHACE), an intensive health and wellness program serving extremely low-income and impoverished children. On a weekly basis, CHACE serves about 290 young children diagnosed with acute or chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, mental disorders and/or other developmental delays.

Mercer Street Friends Center (Ewing) - $5,000 to support the non-administrative, program salary for the Community Resource Liaison as well as vehicle expenses to pick up food donations for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. The Food Bank is the largest supplier of donated food for emergency and non-emergency food assistance providers in Mercer County, NJ, distributing more than 2.5 million pounds of food and groceries in 2009. The Community Resource Liaison undertakes activities to promote and expand food drives and food collections; foster and cultivate relationships with food retailers to secure food donations; coordinate logistics for pick or delivery of food donations; and organizes volunteers.

New Jersey After 3 Inc. (New Brunswick) - $13,375 to purchase books for the New Jersey After 3 Reads! Program benefiting elementary and middle school students in Trenton. The literacy program combines motivational reading activities that engage the entire family in developing a passion for reading.

NEW YORK
Center For Youth Services, Inc. (Rochester) - $5,000 to purchase nutritional food for the Transitional Living Program (TLP), which benefits young, homeless, pregnant or parenting women, ages 12-21. TLP provides a comprehensive 18-month program to safely transition women to self-sufficiency and independent living.

Chinatown Manpower Project, Inc. (New York) - $5,000 to purchase workbooks, textbooks and recordings for its English as a Second Language program for low-income and poverty-level members of New York City's Asian population.

Compass House (Buffalo) - $5,000 to purchase food for its Emergency Shelter and Resource Center Food Program that primarily serves disadvantaged homeless and runaway youth, ages 14-24, in Western New York. In 2009, the Shelter provided 348 youth with 3,074 days of shelter, food and care. Through the Resource Center, youth have access to stabilizing resources including crisis, individual, family and group counseling, as well as independent living skills instruction and referrals to organizational partners. In 2009, 223 youth received support from the Resource Center.

Harlem Academy (New York) - $15,000 to purchase classroom materials, library books and technology requirements for its literacy, tutoring and mentoring programs. The literacy and tutoring programs help to prepare students for the rigors of the academic programs at top secondary schools. Students from top secondary schools assist as after-school tutors. The mentoring program ensures students develop the core habits they need to become diligent with academics and responsible members of society. The mentoring program also provides structured time for students to meet with a faculty advisor in a small group setting to focus on ethical and character building issues.

Hearing and Speech Center of Rochester (Rochester) - $5,000 to support the instructors' program salaries in the Summer Community Outreach Program. During the program, children, ages 4-9 from low, socio-economic backgrounds, participate in speech therapy and literacy sessions to better prepare them for school in the fall.

Island Harvest (Mineola) - $10,000 to purchase food rescue supplies used to store and transport breads and other perishable foods for the Food Collection and Distribution Program. The nonprofit is Long Island's largest hunger relief organization that collects surplus food from supermarkets and then supplies local community-based organizations with the donations. More than 1 in 10 Long Island residents obtain food through emergency food pantries, soup kitchens and other feeding programs served by Island Harvest.

Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty (New York) - $10,000 to purchase kosher proteins for the Met Council Bulk Food Program serving the poor, elderly and immigrant population of New York within the five Boroughs. Met Council delivers more than 60,000 pounds of kosher food to over 18,000 households each month.

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, Inc. (Brooklyn) - $10,000 to purchase computers for Bushwick Workforce Resource Center. Their computer lab offers online vocational-assessments to help with employment training and job placement services to low-income residents. Neighborhood residents will learn computer programs as well as to perform online job-searches and complete online job applications. The Center serves one of the highest need communities of Brooklyn, along with other surrounding communities.

Options for Community Living, Inc. (Smithtown) - $5,000 to purchase new home furnishings to be used in several transitional housing sites that serve homeless families with young children in Suffolk county.

People's Equal Action and Community Effort, Inc. (Syracuse) - $5,000 to purchase food at the Food Bank of Central New York for its Food for Hope program that supports three pantries, which are located in Baldwinsville, Syracuse and East Syracuse, NY.

St. Aloysius Education Clinic (New York) - $5,000 to purchase education supplies for the Summer Academic Enrichment Program. The Program works to prevent typical learning loss experienced by low-income youth during the summer months by helping to improve or maintain reading, writing and math skills. The program will be attended by about 500 children, ages 3-14.

The Opening Word Program, Inc. (Wyandanch) - $5,000 to purchase personal computers for the "Bridge from ESOL to Post Secondary Training" Program, which serves women in upper-level classes in English as a second language. The women will learn computer literacy skills and become more familiar with the Internet to better prepare them for entering the workforce.

The Salvation Army (Syracuse) - $5,000 to purchase beds for the Shelter Transitional Services that provides the necessary support individuals and families need to transition from shelter to permanent housing.

Visiting Nurses Foundation, Inc. (Albany) - $5,000 to purchase medical supplies and equipment not covered by health insurance for its Patients' Needs Fund, which provides skilled nursing, rehabilitation and home health aide visits.

Westcott Community Center (Syracuse) - $5,000 to fund program instructor fees for its after-school Kid's Club Program. The grant will help increase educational and enrichment opportunities through tutoring, art, music, anger management and other special trainings. The Program is for at-risk students ages 8-14, from seven city schools.

YWCA of Niagara (Lockport) - $5,000 to fund the program salary of a case manager working at the Carolyn House. The case manager develops individualized service plans to help homeless women overcome obstacles and ultimately become self-sufficient.

YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County (Rochester) - $5,000 to purchase trundle beds, bed mattresses, mattress covers, and ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerators and freezers for the Emergency Housing Project, which is a shelter for women with children.

NORTH CAROLINA
Communities In Schools of Charlotte Mecklenburg, Inc. (Charlotte) - $5,000 to purchase food, clothing, school supplies as well as pay for the supplies needed to provide enrichment and experiential activities, incentives and recognition events for the CIS Safety Net for Elementary School Students. The CIS Safety Net for Elementary School Students will serve the neediest, most vulnerable children in grades K-5 at 16 of the area's highest poverty and lowest performing public schools.

Haven House, Inc. (Raleigh) - $5,000 to purchase food for the Feeding Youth Program, which addresses the hunger needs of youth who are homeless, exiting gang life or are otherwise in crisis situations. Haven House is the only agency in Wake County that provides emergency shelter and transitional housing to homeless youth under the age of 18.

United Family Services, Inc. (Charlotte) - $5,000 to cover a portion of the program salary for a case manager at its Shelter for Battered Women. The case manager provide crisis intervention to women to get them on the road to establishing safe, secure environments for themselves and their children once they leave the Shelter.

OHIO
Barberton Area Community Ministries (Barberton) - $10,000 to pay the program salary of the pantry director and purchase food and supplies for the Food Pantry Program. Every month they supply food from their pantry to 800-1,000 people. During the school year, they provide three meals for the weekend to 300 students through their backpack program. They also deliver food to over 60 homebound seniors or disabled individuals.

Greenleaf Family Center (Akron) - $4,200 to fund the purchase of materials and teacher/staffing expenses for Get Ready for School, which is a new component of the Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) Program. This readiness program works with low-income children who have not attended preschool to ensure that 3- and 4-year olds are being prepared to enter Kindergarten ready to learn.

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio (Lorain) - $10,000 to offset the cost of food purchases to a network of member agencies including food pantries, hot meal sites and shelters.

PENNSYLVANIA
Asian American Civic Association (Philadelphia) - $5,000 to pay for supplies, materials and food for the Youth Arts Workshop. The program fulfills a growing need for a safe, constructive space for at-risk youth during critical after school hours and summer months. It operates professional artist-led workshops including video making, drop-in style youth lounge to learn how to write resumes and discuss movies, apprenticeships with mentors to learn about theater production, and youth-produced products and skill development. The program, serves approximately 130 youth, ages 13-22.

Education Works, Inc. (Philadelphia) - $7,804 to purchase classroom supplies for preschoolers in the Early Learning Center. The Center uses the Creative Curriculum, a highly regarded, activity-based literacy development program for preschool children. They support 70 children ages six weeks to kindergarten from low-income families.

Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) (Philadelphia) - $10,000 to purchase food ingredients for the meals prepared by MANNA's Home-Delivered Meals Program. MANNA provides a large range of meals to meet the many dietary restrictions of the clients that are served.

The Career Wardrobe (Philadelphia) - $5,000 to purchase clothing for the Dressing and Image Consultation Program benefiting low-income women primarily in North and West Philadelphia. The Dressing and Image Consultation Program assists women in transitioning to the workforce by helping them develop a professional image by providing coaching and resume review, a week's worth of professional clothing, and beauty supplies.

YWCA Carlisle (Carlisle) - $5,000 to pay for supplies and expenses as well as the salary and benefits for the Youth Director at the Grandview & Memorial Park Afterschool Homework Clubs. The after school program works with elementary school-aged students in completing their homework and learning social skills. Each day the students spend at least 40 minutes on homework or learning enrichment activities. Thirty minutes is dedicated to group lessons that teach skills like problem solving, anger management and diversity.

RHODE ISLAND
Family Resources Community Action (Woonsocket) - $5,000 to purchase moving out baskets and pay for the non-administrative salary of a case manager salary for its life skills program at the Woonsocket Homeless Shelter. Residents participate in life skills training on topics such as conflict management, nutrition, maintaining a healthy relationship, budgeting and money management.

VIRGINIA
The House, Incorporated (Woodbridge) - $6,000 to purchase textbooks and additional literacy materials for its Student Leadership Center Education Program, which serves students in grades 4-12, before and after school, on weekends, and during the summer. Many students may not bring their textbooks home with them and these additional resources will enable students to correctly complete their homework and prepare properly for tests.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Capital Area Food Bank (Washington, D.C.) - $15,000 to purchase fresh produce and to prepare and deliver food to Kids Café locations. Kids Café feeds children in need when school is not in session, including during vacation and summer breaks. It provides nutritional snacks and meals through recreation and community centers, churches and schools. Many kids also receive weekend bags of food to share with their families.

ABOUT BJ'S CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
BJ's Charitable Foundation was established with the mission to enrich every community BJ's Wholesale Clubs serve. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that primarily benefit the underprivileged in the area of basic needs (hunger prevention, self-sufficiency, education and health). For more information about BJ’s Charitable Foundation, please visit, www.bjs.com/charity.

BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ's Wholesale Club

About BJ's Wholesale Club

Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 207 clubs in 15 states.

BJ’s provides a one-stop shopping destination filled with more top-quality, leading brands including its exclusive Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands, which are all backed by BJ’s 100% money-back guarantee; more fresh foods from USDA Choice meats to premium produce to delicious organics in many supermarket sizes; and more great value and amazing savings every day. BJ’s is also the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience offers the most payment options.

Giving back has always been at the very core of BJ’s culture, too. Through local clubs, volunteerism, BJ’s Feeding Communities and BJ’s Charitable Foundation, the company supports and enhances programs that provide vital services within each community it serves. Additionally, BJ’s is focused on preserving the Earth for future generations through a wide array of responsible sourcing and sustainability efforts. For more information, visit www.bjs.com/community.

To check out all the MORE BJ’s has to offer, visit www.bjs.com and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

About BJ’s Charitable Foundation

BJ’s Charitable Foundation was established with the mission to enrich every community BJ’s Wholesale Clubs serve. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that primarily benefit the underprivileged in the areas of hunger prevention and education. To learn more, visit www.bjs.com/charity.

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