NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. HBC Foundation, the charitable arm of Hudson’s Bay Company, announced today that it will award a $300,000 grant to benefit The Jed Foundation (JED) as part of a $6 million (CAD) commitment to mental health initiatives across North America by 20201. The HBC Foundation is dedicated to making mental health a priority in every community by increasing understanding and improving access to care.
The grant will establish the HBC Foundation Campus Scholarship Fund to support JED Campus – a nationwide initiative designed to help guide colleges and universities through assessing and building upon their existing student mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention efforts. As suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults in the U.S.2, JED Campus takes a comprehensive approach to protecting emotional health and preventing suicide across college campuses nationwide.
Approximately half of all young adults with a mental health condition are not receiving adequate treatment3, and mental health support tends to be underfunded among even the best colleges and universities. Dedicated to enhancing student well-being, the Fund will enable JED to increase their reach by over half a million students, working with more colleges and universities nationwide to invest in mental health resources and substance abuse programming. In addition to supporting these schools, JED Campus also brings the importance of mental health to the forefront of national attention.
“We are incredibly grateful to receive HBC’s generosity and support,” said John MacPhee, Executive Director/CEO of The Jed Foundation. “Their gift will help us work with more campuses to help develop and implement plans to better support the well-being of their students by strengthening their policies, programs and systems around mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention.”
The HBC Foundation announced the launch of the HBC Foundation Campus Scholarship Fund at a Get With The Times event on Thursday, November 29th. Get With The Times is The New York Times’s live event series that explores provocative issues college students face today. Hosted at Tufts University in Boston, the HBC Foundation awarded its first scholarship to the Tufts campus. The event also featured a conversation with five-time NBA All-Star and champion, Kevin Love, and Sports of The Times columnist, Juliet Macur, about Love’s personal mental health journey.
1. The U.S. and Canadian HBC Foundations together have pledged to distribute $6 million (CAD) to support mental health services across North America.
2. Source: National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. 2016.
3. Source: Access to Care Ranking, Mental Health in America.
About the U.S. HBC Foundation
Launched in 2017, the U.S. HBC Foundation is the charitable arm of Hudson’s Bay Company, a diversified global retailer and the oldest company in North America. Through the recently announced HEADFIRST program, the foundation is dedicated to making mental health a priority in every community by increasing understanding and improving access to care.
About Hudson’s Bay Company
HBC is a diversified global retailer focused on driving the performance of high quality stores and their omnichannel offerings and unlocking the value of real estate holdings. Founded in 1670, HBC is the oldest company in North America. HBC's portfolio today includes formats ranging from luxury to premium department stores to off price fashion shopping destinations, with more than 480 stores and approximately 65,000 employees around the world.
HBC's leading banners across North America and Europe include Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, Galeria Kaufhof, the largest department store group in Germany, and Belgium's only department store group Galeria INNO.
HBC has significant investments in real estate joint ventures. It has partnered with Simon Property Group Inc. in the HBS Global Properties Joint Venture, which owns properties in the United States and Germany. In Canada, it has partnered with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust in the RioCan-HBC Joint Venture.
About The Jed Foundation (JED)
JED is a nonprofit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention programming and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults; and we’re encouraging community awareness, understanding and action for young adult mental health.
Learn more at jedfoundation.org. Check out our programs including: JED Campus (jedcampus.org), Set to Go (settogo.org), ULifeline (ulifeline.org), Half of Us (halfofus.com), Love is Louder (loveislouder.com) and Seize the Awkward (seizetheawkward.org).
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