Q: TJX supported 880 charitable organizations in 2003. What were some of the highlights of TJX?s activities in its communities?

A: TJX is committed to being a responsible, caring and giving community partner, and 2003 marked another year in which the Company and our Associates gave back to the communities where our stores, distribution centers or home offices are located. We supported 880 nonprofit organizations during the year, with families and children continuing to be the focus of our corporate giving and volunteer activities.

In 2003, in lieu of a Company holiday party at our corporate headquarters, TJX launched the ?TJX Cares About Doing Things that Matter? campaign. TJX repaired the roof of a shelter for families near our home office in Framingham, Massachusetts, and Associates donated holiday gifts as well as basic needs items that were distributed to several local organizations through The United Way.

Throughout the year, TJX Associates donated their time and efforts to many charitable organizations and activities, including The Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, GREAT STRIDES: Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis, Walk Far For N.A.A.R. (National Alliance for Autism Research), and The American Cancer Society?s Daffodil Days Program. Additionally, over 25,000 Associates donated to The United Way campaign in 2003.

In 2003, Marshalls conducted a very successful in-store campaign to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and continued its support of the Family Violence Prevention Fund. T.J. Maxx continued to focus its charitable activities on Save the Children. HomeGoods continued its work with the Jimmy Fund and A.J. Wright continued its support for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. At our international divisions, Winners continued its support of the Sunshine Dreams for Kids, a Canadian organization dedicated to making dreams come true for children with severe physical disabilities and life-threatening illnesses, as did T.K. Maxx of NCH, which supports vulnerable children and their families in the U.K.

We reached the 36,000-mark in hiring through our Welfare-to-Work Program in 2003, well beyond the goal that we had set when we signed on to this important program in 1997. Through our TJXtra! Program, we continued to raise awareness among Associates, as well as their families and friends, about government benefits such as fuel assistance, Fannie Mae and tax credit programs.

Cultural diversity continues to be a priority in our hiring programs, community outreach and supplier partnerships. Our Minority and Women-Owned Suppliers program continues to be a major effort in fulfilling our commitment to the diverse communities we serve. In 2003, we enhanced this program by providing easy access to information about it on our corporate website.

Community support will continue as a defining value at The TJX Companies. In giving back to our communities, we are making our organization stronger by simply doing the right thing.