Fulfilling Basic Needs

In our communities around the world, there are families in poverty who struggle to overcome the challenges of everyday life and meet their basic needs. We understand the importance of a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep and the impact that can have on families. This is why we are passionate about supporting non-profit organizations that help fill these critical basic needs for vulnerable families.

In 2017, our community efforts supported more than 1,800 non-profit organizations worldwide. Some examples of the programs we supported include:

In the U.S., TJX supports Cradles to Crayons, which serves children from birth through age 12 living in homeless shelters or low-income situations, and provides them with high-quality, essential items they need to thrive. In 2017, Associates participated in volunteer and collection events, donating and processing clothing items, and stuffing 40,000 backpacks with school supplies and notes of encouragement during the annual Backpack-A-Thon.

In Canada, we continued our longstanding relationship with the Daily Bread Food Bank, which provides food and support to nearly 200 food programs throughout Toronto. In fact, TJX Canada is the largest provider of food relief in the Greater Toronto area, and our Associates volunteer their time, sorting and managing food for school lunches, among other projects.

2017 IMPACT

TJX Europe has been working in 12 communities in the Rwenzori region of western Uganda to help send children to school since 2008. In 2011, we furthered our commitment by developing a sustainable trade program in the region to help more than 6,000 families increase their incomes. We have supported the production and sale of coffee, cocoa, cotton, and crafts, and we sell coffee and crafts produced in that region in our stores. We also support helping these parents form co-operatives and build relationships with commercial and development partners, which has led to better and higher quality drop yields. Cotton and cocoa co-operatives that we work with have been Fairtrade certified, helping the co-operatives achieve fairer pricing and access to international markets. In fact, research shows that these coffee farmers now earn more for their crops. These, combined with consistent sales of their crops, give parents a more reliable and increased income stream, allowing them to save for school fees and materials. We believe our support is making a difference. Since the Rwenzori Trade Project started in 2011, there has been a 40% increase in children completing their primary school education.

T.K. Maxx in the U.K. further developed its 12-year relationship with Comic Relief, a charity that serves children and families impacted by poverty and social injustice in the U.K. and Africa. Since 2005, our Associates and customers have raised tens of millions of dollars for Comic Relief U.K.’s much-loved fundraising campaign, “Red Nose Day.” In 2017, as the official t-shirt retailer for the campaign, we raised more than $5 million to support Comic Relief’s efforts.

Making a Difference:
Feeding America

According to research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 15.6 million American households struggle to put food on the table.¹ This year, our U.S. retail chains teamed up with Feeding America to support families in need during the holidays. Through this campaign, funds donated from our U.S. foundation and our customers were distributed to Feeding America and 152 of its member food banks located in our communities across the U.S., translating into an estimated 22.5 million meals served to those in need. Throughout the year, TJX Associates also volunteered at local food banks and held food drives at our distribution centers, stores, and corporate offices. We’re proud to be having a positive impact on people’s lives, like Derek, a single father from St. Louis.

DEREK’S STORY

When Derek became a single dad, he didn’t know how he was going to make ends meet, but he was determined to care for his family – and that’s where his community’s food pantry made all the difference.