[GCFL-discuss] Target

[gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]

            I never go to target..... No reason in particular I just
never went there cause it is out of the way in our travels.
        Jeff 
 Pa



On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 10:31:58 -0600 gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net writes:
> http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/target.asp
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> Claims:   Multiple - see below.
> 
> Status:
> The Target Corporation does not contribute to veterans' causes:   
> False.
> The Target Corporation is French-owned:   False.
> The Target Corporation provides corporate grants only for 'gay and 
> lesbian
> causes':   False.
> The Target Corporation does not contribute to the U.S. Marines 'Toys 
> for
> Tots' program:   False.
> The Target Corporation does not allow reservists called to active 
> duty to
> continue their health benefits:   False.
> Example:   [Collected on the Internet, 2002]
> 
> 
> TARGET STORES DO NOT SUPPORT VETERANS!!!
> Subject: Vietnam vets not worthy?
> 
> Vietnam Veterans Not Worthy Of Target's Help?
> By Dick Forrey, Vietnam Veterans Association.
> 
> We asked our local Target store to be a sponsor of the Vietnam 
> Veterans'
> Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event. We received back 
> a reply
> from Target management that "veterans do not meet our area of 
> giving. We
> only donate to the areas of arts, social actions and education."
> 
> My thought: If the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and the Vietnam 
> veteran
> himself, does not meet the criteria of these areas, something is 
> wrong at
> Target. We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not even 
> hundreds, but
> simply sponsorship endorsement for a "memorial remembrance".
> 
> As follow-up, I e-mailed the Corporate Headquarters and their 
> response was
> the same. Personally, I will NOT be buying anything at Target Stores 
> again.
> If the Vietnam Veteran does not meet their area of giving then why 
> should I
> as a Vietnam veteran, spend my hard earned money in their stores?
> 
> Please pass this on to as many people as you know. Maybe Target and 
> other
> businesses will get the message.
> 
> 
> Origins:   As
> Strother Martin's character wryly commented in Cool Hand Luke, "What 
> we've
> got here is failure to communicate."
> 
> Dick Forrey, a member of the Indiana-based Howard County Vietnam 
> Veterans
> organization, penned the above message in March 2002 after failing 
> to secure
> a $100 sponsorship for a travelling Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall 
> exhibit
> from his local Target store. Mr. Forrey was rebuffed, because Target 
> does
> not give out cash donations through local stores; they donate money 
> only at
> the corporate level, and only through grants to organizations 
> falling within
> their defined general areas of giving:
> 
> We want to clearly and completely apologize for any 
> misunderstanding
> regarding Target's support of the Vietnam Wall and our corporate 
> giving
> program. Giving back to the communities where our stores are located 
> is
> something we're proud to do. In fact, nationwide, Target Corporation 
> gives
> more than $2 million a week to the communities in which we serve.
> 
> In March of 2002, a veteran approached one of our stores seeking a 
> $100
> donation for a display of the "moving wall" in his area. Target does 
> support
> events in the communities in which our stores are located. While 
> each store
> determines which events to sponsor, any contribution is limited and 
> is made
> in the form of a gift card. The stores are not able to give cash
> contributions to any organization. Stores are also able to donate 
> volunteer
> hours to community events and projects.
> 
> Our corporate giving program that does incorporate cash donations is 
> handled
> through a process called grants. Unfortunately, the veteran and his
> organization were not provided the proper information to facilitate
> consideration of a grant from either the store or our corporate 
> office. The
> initial response of the team member at the store and the reply from 
> our
> corporate office are inconsistent with the respectful manner in 
> which we
> want all of our guests to be treated. We are truly sorry for this 
> oversight
> and the resulting confusion that has taken place.
> 
> We accept all applications for grants from January 1 to September 30 
> of each
> calendar year. Any guest can request a grants application brochure 
> at their
> local store, called "Grant Guidelines." Veterans programs may be 
> considered
> for grants if the subject matter falls into one of our three general 
> areas
> of giving: education, arts and family violence prevention.
> 
> Guests can also access a grant application at our web site.
> 
> This is certain: Target appreciates the dedication and service of 
> all our
> veterans. Thank you again for your interest.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Daniel Cleland
> Group Team Leader
> Guest Relations
> 
> Granted, Target deserves a small share of criticism for initially 
> failing to
> explain their policies clearly to Mr. Forrey when he approached 
> them,  but
> the stance presented in the message quoted above - that a company 
> which
> won't financially contribute to someone's pet project doesn't 
> "support"
> whatever cause is being represented and should therefore be 
> boycotted by all
> like-minded people - is a selfish one, and in this case a grossly 
> unfair
> one. The Target Corporation donates a tremendous amount of money to
> charitable causes every year, and in both 2002 and 2003 they topped 
> Forbes
> magazine's list of "America's Most Philanthropic Companies." Among 
> the many
> organizations to which Target donates are veteran-related causes, 
> including
> exhibits like the one for which Mr. Forrey was seeking a 
> contribution:
> 
> In the Greater Cleveland area alone, Target has recently donated 
> more than
> $95,000 to such worthwhile causes as the Museum of Art, the Rape 
> Crisis
> Center, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and the 
> Cleveland Reads
> literacy program.
> 
> The company has been no less generous toward veterans. Not only did 
> Target
> contribute to the World War II Memorial and sponsor the 2003 tour of 
> "The
> Wall that Heals" - the same exhibit for which Forrey was soliciting
> donations - but it also donated to the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans
> Association in New York, the Hays County veterans in Texas, and the 
> Disabled
> American Veterans Auxiliaries in Michigan and California.
> As the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) noted on their website:
> 
> Although there has been a resurgence of patriotism and support for 
> our
> nation's veterans, there have been various messages posted on the 
> Internet
> that would lead people to believe that corporate America, 
> specifically
> retail department stores, are falling short in supporting our 
> nation's
> veterans.
> 
> The Veterans of Foreign Wars would like to remind all that the 
> Internet
> culture weaves rumors and misinformation. Simply put, don't believe
> everything you read. For example, an e-mail message urging veterans 
> to
> boycott Target has been circulating on the Internet because a 
> solicitation
> request to support "The Moving Wall" was denied.
> 
> Target has a long-held corporate policy regarding donations. And in 
> all
> fairness, Target contributes more than $2 million weekly to 
> charitable
> causes and is one of the corporate sponsors for the 2003 tour of the 
> Vietnam
> Veteran's Memorial Fund's "The Wall That Heals." "The Wall That 
> Heals" is a
> traveling Vietnam Veterans memorial and museum that has a strong 
> educational
> component for schools and serves to honor all our veterans.
> Dick Forrey, the man who started the anti-Target brouhaha, has since
> admitted his mistake:
> 
> I made a mistake on this one, and I've learned a hard lesson - 
> that's for
> sure. What started out as a message for the members in our 
> organization has
> turned into a hate-type thing. I never wanted to start any national 
> boycott.
> I just wish it would all stop.
> 
> Some people have used my words and perpetuated lies. It's sad that 
> some of
> these people would use veterans as a way to push their own political 
> views.
> I've sent out a retraction, and no one pays any attention.
> Since the antiTarget message first began to circulate, several other 
> claims
> have been tacked onto it by those seeking to make Target look bad: 
> that
> Target responds to charitable requests by stating they only support 
> 'gay and
> lesbian causes,' that Target is French-owned, and that Target does 
> not
> contribute to the Toys for Tots program sponsored by the U.S. Marine 
> Corps,
> and that Target refused to allow reservist employees who had been 
> activated
> to continue their health benefits:
> Target's stated policy is that they provide grants at the corporate 
> level
> for programs involving the arts, education, and family violence 
> prevention,
> and donates at the local level to a variety of charitable causes. 
> The line
> about Target's responding to inquiries by stating that they provide
> corporate grants only for 'gay and lesbian causes' is a falsity 
> added to
> later versions of the message.
> 
> The Target Corporation (which now also includes the Mervyn's and 
> Marshall
> Field's chains of department stores) is a publicly held U.S. firm 
> which has
> been based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since it began as the Dayton 
> Dry Goods
> Company in 1902. Target is not now, nor has it ever been, 
> foreign-owned.
> 
> Although Target stores do not directly participate in the in-store
> collection of toys for the Toys for Tots charity sponsored by the 
> U.S.
> Marine Corps, the Target Corporation contributes to that charity by 
> giving
> discounts to groups who buy toys for it, and through collecting toys 
> at
> their chain of Marshall Field's stores, one of the National 
> Corporate
> Sponsors of the Toys for Tots program.
> 
> Target Corporation has been recognized by the National Committee 
> for
> Employer Support of the National Guard and Reserve (ESGR) as an 
> "Outstanding
> Employer" which has "gone above and beyond the requirements of the 
> law in
> support of their National Guard and Reserve employees." Target 
> employees who
> are activated for military service and were participating in 
> optional
> dependent coverage at the time of their deployment are eligible to 
> continue
> these benefits if they so choose. Target Corporation also allows any 
> Target
> team member to continue benefits as provided by the 1986 
> Consolidated
> Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).
> Last updated:   17 December 2003
> 
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> 
> 

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