Safe Families & Communities
Disaster Preparedness & Giving Target's New & Enhanced 2006 Initiatives
Prepare.The importance of families preparing a plan on how they will stay safe during a disaster cannot be understated. Therefore, preparing for disasters is the first step in Target’s multifaceted approach to their disaster relief plan. Following are a few initiatives Target will engage in at this phase for 2006:
• Family Preparedness Guides – (New for 2006) A free kid-friendly family disaster planning guide that outlines tips to prepare. The Guides will be available in-stores in early fall at store kiosks, on Target.com, as well as with a half dozen key partners, including American Red Cross, America’s Second Harvest and The Salvation Army.Respond.
• Comfort Kits – (New pilot program in the Gulf Coast region for 2006) Comfort kits include a variety of pre-packaged travel sized hygiene products for adults. The kits are assembled by Target team members and ready to be distributed free of cost to American Red Cross chapters when/if disaster strikes.
• Pre-positioned Products – Target has assisted the American Red Cross to proactively stockpile supplies for immediate disaster relief. In addition, Target has worked with their internal merchant and logistics partners to pre-position hurricane relief product in its import warehouses to be directed to organizations such as America’s Second Harvest and the Salvation Army when/if disaster strikes.
• First Aid and Emergency Preparedness Starter Kits – In an existing effort towards preparing families for emergencies, Target will continue to partner with the American Red Cross to sell the Target and American Red Cross First Aid and Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit at stores nationwide and online at Target.com. The kits contain essential emergency supplies for a family of four as well as children’s activity books and crayons.
Target partners with relief organizations to provide the right resources at the right time when/if disaster strikes. Following is a sampling of the items Target is prepared to put in place in the event of a disaster:
• Donations – Target will donate Gift Cards, cash, and/or products to national and local relief organizations as needed for disaster victims. In addition, Target will provide real estate and technical expertise as needed to impacted areas to expedite recovery locally.Recover.
• Store Support – Enhanced store support efforts for 2006 include increased discretionary funds and new disaster accounts at store level to provide more immediate help via local organizations for victims and a new Hurricane Preparedness Guide for store team members. In addition to these new initiatives, Target will continue other store policies to aid victims such as allowing interested team members to donate their vacation pay or United Way contribution to disaster relief organization.
Following are examples of continued recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast that Target is still participating in after Hurricane Katrina. The goal for 2006 is to continue to help the people and areas devastated by this hurricane as well as to build upon existing partners/programs when needed in an effort to recover new disaster affected areas.
• Great Schools by Design – Through a partnership with the American Architecture Foundation on Great Schools by Design, Target is providing direct support to help improve the quality of America’s schools by promoting good design, encouraging collaboration in the design process and providing leading-edge resources to local leaders and school officials. Resulting from the grant, Mississippi is among the participants of the 2006 School Design Institute.
• Laura Bush Foundation – Target recently announced a $250,000 grant to the Laura Bush Foundation to help rebuild and re-stock school library book collections destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• Kids Reconstruct with Creativity – Target has provided a grant to Kids Reconstruct with Creativity in Jackson, Miss. and New Orleans. The project exhibits original artwork and writings created by young people of all ages in response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. This winter the exhibit makes its way to the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. and Scholastic headquarters in New York City.
• Home Products for Reconstruction – Target has provided home products to help furnish 150 homes for families rebuilding in the Gulf Coast.
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