Community Relations

SGC has become the enterprise that it is today because of the communities in which we live and work. Giving back to those communities that have supported us is a core value of SGC. In 2022, we continued to sponsor charitable organizations throughout our communities through donating our time as volunteers, supplying apparel to those in need, and providing financial support to philanthropic causes. We also continued our efforts supporting global disaster relief efforts around the world.

CORPORATE GIVING

And

EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERISM

60+ Charitable organizations receiving cash contributions from SGC and its segments

$204,000+ Cash contributions

Each year, SGC and our various segments extend financial contributions to numerous deserving organizations and causes across the globe. In 2022, SGC and its segments raised more than $204,000 in charitable contributions for over 60 organizations.

Charitable Contributions Apparel Donations

In keeping with a well-established and beloved SGC tradition, in 2022 we donated more than 137,000 units of clothing to 10 humanitarian and healthcare organizations serving the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, and Florida and various communities throughout Haiti.

Donations included scrubs, gowns, and clinical apparel for healthcare workers at medical centers and nursing homes. We also provided apparel for shelters, community organizations, schools, and day care centers to assist teens, the homeless, and others in need.

In 2022, our donations also extended to education-focused institutions, as, for example, we donated approximately 100 cones of sewing thread to Greenville Schools for use in teaching students how to sew.

The Eudora Distribution Center in Eudora, Arkansas is one of our largest distribution centers. In 2022 it hosted four blood drives to donate blood to the local community and provided flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

Keeping Our Community Healthy Adopt-A-Shore Program

In 2022, SGC continued to host debris and trash clean up events at Madeira Beach on Florida’s western coastline. We adopted the beach in 2009 through the Adopt-A-Shore program, a cooperative partnership between the public/private sector and Pinellas County, Florida, which allows groups to “adopt” a mile-long section of county shoreline. Shore adoptions enhance the ability of community members to enjoy shorelines and are invaluable in helping to reduce debris entering our waterways and polluting habitats. SGC volunteers have collected hundreds of pounds of trash from Madeira Beach since we adopted it in 2009.

Olivia & Friends

Since 2017, TOG has taken great pride in our dog adoption charity, known as Olivia & Friends, in honor of Olivia, the first dog that TOG adopted back in 2017. In 2020, Olivia was joined by Pepe, and together they have brought tremendous joy to our offices and community. We partner with local programs through Olivia & Friends to rescue and adopt puppies while enabling employees to support rescue shelters through fundraising events.

Over the last 5 years Olivia & Friends has assisted our local community in a variety of ways. Through our partnership with ARANI, a local animal shelter that Olivia & Friends aids for adoption days and other volunteer events, we helped find homes for shelter dogs. We also created a coloring book called “The Adventures of Olivia & Pepe”, with illustrations drawn by local artists. The book features six stories, each representing one of TOG’s core values. We donated copies of the books to a children’s hospital in El Salvador and sold others, donating the proceeds to a local organization dedicated to treating childhood cancer.

As part of a new adventure in 2022, Pepe and Olivia launched their own puppy collaboration with the dog apparel brand Osso and Nina. All proceeds from the collaboration are donated to the ARANI Shelter Home to provide care for rescue dogs.

To follow Olivia and Pepe’s adventures and see any new friends that might join them, please visit instagram.com/happygurutails!

Support for the Disabled

TOG is proud of its commitment to supporting disabled El Salvadorians. Each year since 2016 we have donated 3 call center positions to a local organization that offers rehabilitation treatments to children and adults with physical disabilities. Our agents manage medical appointments and provide other services. We also contribute through fundraising, advocacy, and activities, such as assembling wheelchairs.

VOLUNTEERING SPOTLIGHT:

The Gurus are Back Outside

In 2022 our volunteers started to return to in-person volunteering! TOG conducted a survey to establish a new volunteer club that participates in regular volunteer events. The volunteer club currently has 136 members that are excited and ready to give their time to great causes.

VOLUNTEERING SPOTLIGHT: Sustainable Housing

Gente Ayudando Gente is a non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of life for El Salvadorans through constructing houses, donating food, and providing medical services. In 2022, a group of Gurus participated in a mid-day volunteering activity where they assisted with the construction of a sustainable housing project in Nuevo Cuscatlán.

CORPORATE GIVING SPOTLIGHT: TOG Gifts for Grandparents

In December 2022, Gurus in El Salvador sponsored Christmas gifts for 60 grandparents in a local nursing home to improve the spirits of the residents. A group of volunteers visited the home to deliver the gifts, provide snacks, and sing songs to the residents.

Supporting Our Vendors’ Employees

One of SGC’s vendors located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti suddenly closed its factory in January 2022. This left more than 1,100 garment workers unexpectedly without employment, impacting their ability to support themselves and their families. The factory was unable to cover the required severance pay for the workers, leaving many of them unable to pay for basic personal necessities.

SGC and other apparel brands stepped up to cover the severance pay for all of the former factory employees by providing them with the equivalent of over six months’ worth of wages. SGC contributed over $250,000, enabling impacted employees to support their families while searching for new job opportunities.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer awareness is a cherished cause to many at SGC. SGC employees participate in an annual Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign by walking, running, and supporting participants to spread awareness for survivors and those currently battling breast cancer. Some participants carry signs with the names of those they have lost to honor them.

TOG’s breast cancer awareness efforts also have involved engagement with our local communities. In October 2022, we sponsored the annual Pink Gala for a local El Salvador newspaper, as a tribute to life and those who have survived breast cancer. We had the opportunity to meet incredible survivors and listen to their stories at the Pink Gala while also raising funds to provide access to mammograms and ultrasounds. TOG also created a special phone line to raise funds for an organization that works to educate people on cancer and human rights and provide cancer screenings at a low cost. Our Contact Center employees also donated their own money, which was matched by TOG.

Committee For Economic Development

The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is a non-profit organization that has helped to shape the future of various issues ranging from the Marshall Plan to education, campaign finance reform and, most recently, infrastructure modernization. In December 2022, our CEO Michael Benstock joined the CED as a Trustee. He will join a group of peers to help develop solutions to critical issues facing the United States, while championing causes that SGC is passionate about.