Charitable Giving
2018 Highlights
Akron Children’s Hospital
Akron Support Center team members host games and provide prizes to approximately 75 patients and their families who attend the annual carnival. In addition, Signet supports the annual Adopt-a-Family program, which assists patients and families in the Palliative Care Unit at Akron Children’s Hospital. In 2018, Signet team members provided gifts for 168 children and their families.
Disaster Relief
In the wake of Hurricane Michael and other natural disasters, nearly $95,000 was donated through team member giving and corporate matching donations to the Signet Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF). The SDRF provides short-term temporary relief to team members facing hardship from natural disasters. Assistance from the fund provides for food, clothing, shelter, medical supplies, household supplies and/or financial assistance, depending on the circumstances.
ACCESS Homeless Shelter
Signet team members volunteered at Akron-based homeless shelter ACCESS for women and children. Volunteers painted client rooms, cleaned jewelry for ACCESS’ annual jewelry sale and provided administrative assistance. For the 12th consecutive year, Signet sponsored the shelter’s annual breakfast and pledged to match any gift up to a maximum donation of $40,000. Signet has supported the shelter for more than 20 years.
Relay For Life
Our Akron Support Center holds this annual on-site event for the American Cancer Society. Over $141,000 was raised in 2018 for the Signet Jewelers and the American Cancer Society Childhood Research Fund. The donation funded a research grant for Dr. Victoria W. Willard at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This research focuses on developmental defects caused by brain tumors and identifying social skills that are problematic for child survivors with brain tumors. The race kicked off with an opening lap dedicated to Signet team members who are cancer survivors.
Remembrance Day
Our Canadian team members annually observe Remembrance Day in honor of Canadian veterans by purchasing poppy pins from the Royal Canadian Legion to wear in stores.
The Family Place
The Dallas Support Center continued its partnership with The Family Place with donations totaling $18,000 in 2018. Signet provided support for the shelter’s emergency transportation program, which pays for rides to bring individuals in immediate danger to the shelter. In 2018, 578 people received emergency transportation. Signet team members hosted a spring carnival for the children and clients, providing games, prizes and food for all attendees. Team members donated holiday gifts to 67 families through the annual Adopt-a-Family program. Signet also sponsored The Family Place’s Texas Trailblazer Awards Luncheon, which honors those who create positive change and contribute to the quality of life in the community.
iC.A.R.E. Mentoring
This program serves K-12 students across Akron Public Schools and Barberton City Schools through positive, purposeful mentoring relationships with community volunteers. For the past two years, Signet has played a pivotal role in iC.A.R.E. In 2018, 85 team members participated as mentors to local school children through the iC.A.R.E. Mentoring program.
United Way of Summit
County Ohio
Signet charitable giving initiatives have been recognized with the Community Changer Award by the United Way of Summit County, Ohio for outstanding participation in annual drives, volunteerism and awareness. Among the ways we support United Way: Since 1997, more than $3.2 million in annual team member giving campaigns, participation in the “Stuff the Bus” campaign to fill student backpacks, and team members who volunteer their time for the annual “Day of Action” and “Read to Me” days at local elementary schools.