
At Gildan, we are committed to improving people's quality of life and supporting communities in which we operate. Around the globe, Gildan gives back to communities through donations centered on humanitarian aid, youth and education. These are the underlying themes that determine all our charitable giving.
Our specific community involvement initiatives depend on the local situation and the unique needs of each community.
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In 2006, Gildan renewed its partnership with Dans la rue, a Montreal-based non-profit organization serving youth on the street. Gildan will donate $125,000 per year to Dans la rue for a period of three years. This donation is one of the largest the organization has ever received. The money will allow this innovative and important organization to make significant improvements to its services and fund-raising capacity. The majority of Gildan's contribution will go to support the cafeteria of the Chez Pops Day Center, which provides meals to 200 street kids, five days a week. This extraordinary place is
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the site of daily informal meetings between street kids and counsellors, teachers, therapists, a nurse and volunteers. The cafeteria is where solid relationships are born and is often where kids take their first steps to eventually getting off the streets. Gildan also acted as title sponsor of Dans la rue's annual fundraising event 'From the Street to the Stars', an evening that offered "street food" and "street entertainment" in a relaxed after-work setting. The third edition of this event, which raised more than $100,000, was held on September 26, 2007 in downtown Montreal and welcomed more than 450 guests.
Gildan has also made significant donations to other organizations located in Quebec that are aimed at youth and education. Among others, Gildan donated $10,000 to Maison Dauphine, a non-profit organization in Quebec City that helps homeless kids. For more than a decade, Maison Dauphine has unconditionally helped youth aged 12 to 22. A personalized helping relation is established with youth to provide them with essential and extension services, as well as support for job rehabilitation and/or going back to school. In this way, Maison Dauphine allows kids to take time out and get the protection, help, support and advice they need. It provides them with a safe, calming environment in which they can find themselves, think and take a step back from what they are going through in life. The aim is to ensure their commitment in resolving their own problems, with a view to social rehabilitation.
Gildan is also making a $15,000 contribution over a three-year period to the Toujours Ensemble Foundation. Toujours Ensemble is a Verdun organization whose mission is to help youth with school, family or social problems by giving them a place to go and providing creative educational, recreational and support activities for their development. Every year, more than 250 kids, mainly coming from underprivileged areas, visit the organization. Gildan contributes to support the efforts of Toujours Ensemble, particularly in the fields of intervention and activities, in order to prevent school dropouts. To encourage youth to pursue their post-secondary studies, Gildan also offered scholarships to students.
Je passe partout, an organization located in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood of Montréal, also received the support of Gildan with a yearly donation of $7,000 since 2006. The goals of Je Passe Partout's activities are closely linked to the prevention of school failure in an underprivileged area of the city. The aim of the school support program is to motivate children in their academic development and help them acquire a positive attitude with respect to school and their studies.
Gildan donated $18,000 ($6,000 per year for three years) to the Fondation de l'Athlète d'Excellence du Québec to provide scholarships to athletes who perform as well academically as athletically, in addition to getting involved in their community.
Since 2006, Gildan has also sponsored the Word on the Street event, which promotes reading with adults and children in five major Canadian cities during the month of September. The event is Canada’s largest annual one-day national book and magazine festival celebrating literacy and the written arts. Gildan has supported the event for the past three years with an in-kind donation of over 3,500 t-shirts.
The Trevor Williams Kids Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching life skills to marginalized youth. The Foundation works with kids from 6-18 years of age from different social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The Trevor Williams Kids Foundation reaches nearly 2,000 kids through its organized events, leagues and programs. Gildan was pleased to support this great organization, which works with youth and encourages them to stay in school. Since 2006 Gildan has been contributing financial and in-kind donations totaling over $10,000.
In September 2006, Gildan sponsored SAJE Montreal Metro's new project "Succès-Relève". This program is offered to future and current Quebec entrepreneurs. It is geared specifically to people who want to take over an existing business within two years and who want to acquire the competencies required to successfully carry out the transfer.
In 2007, Gildan supported small organizations and school projects, mostly located in Virginia and North Carolina. The company also supported the United Way and United Givers Fund campaigns, which provided financial support to local groups involved in improving the quality of life of children, women, less fortunate families and other causes. This year, the company’s employees raised close to U.S. $52,000, an amount that was matched by Gildan.
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