STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
E-MAIL: mccaleb5thdist@aol.com or mccaleb4thdist@aol.com
WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com
TARGET STORES
"Veterans
do not meet our area of giving We only donate to the arts, social action
groups, gay &lesbian causes, and education."
Unfortunately, Target has been the victim of a
lengthy e-mail smear
campaign since 2002, initiated by a person who didn't receive a donation
that he requested.
by Dick Forrey of the Vietnam Veterans Association
Recently we asked the local TARGET store to be a proud sponsor of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event.
We received the following reply from the local TARGET management: "Veterans do not meet our area of giving We only donate to the arts, social action groups, gay &lesbian causes, and education."
So I'm thinking, if the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and veterans in general do not meet their donation criteria, then something is really wrong at this TARGET store. We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not even hundreds, just a small sponsorship for a memorial remembrance.
As a follow-up, I e-mailed the TARGET U.S. corporate headquarters and their response was the same. That's their national policy.
Then I looked into the company further. They will not allow the Marines to collect for 'Toys for Tots' at any of their stores. And during the recent Iraq deployment, they would not allow families of employees who were called up for active duty to continue their insurance coverage while they were on military service. Then as I dig further, TARGET is a French-owned corporation.
Now, I'm thinking again. If TARGET can not support American Veterans, then why should I and my family support their stores by spending our hard earned American dollars and to have their profits sent to France. Without the American Vets, where would France be today?
Feel free to pass this along to whomever you want.
Sincerely,
Dick Forrey
Veterans helping Veterans
Dear Steven,
Thank you for contacting Target Stores to inquire about our support of
veterans and our soldiers.
Unfortunately, Target has been the victim of a lengthy e-mail smear
campaign since 2002, initiated by a person who didn't receive a donation
that he requested. This e-mail campaign grossly misrepresents our support
of veterans. Due to the nature of the Internet and e-mail communication,
this false information has taken on a life of its own and been perpetuated
and repeatedly modified many times by unknown writers. The National
Veterans of Foreign Wars posted a press release on their Web site on
December 6, 2002 to help clarify this issue and show their support of
Target at http://www.vfw.org/news/target.htm
Target is owned by Target Corporation, a company based in Minneapolis,
Minnesota since it's founding by George Dayton in 1902. Target is not now
and never has been foreign owned. Our company has supported many charitable
causes throughout its history, and that includes veteransorganizations. For
years, Target has donated funds and volunteer hours to local and national
veteran and military organizations around the country.
Charitable Giving Examples:
Target displays our support of our veterans and troops on our Web site at
www.target.com. Click Community Giving, and Community Bulletin to view.
Some examples of our giving include: Target is a contributor to the World
War II Memorial and a sponsor of the national 2003 tour of "The Wall that
Heals," a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund outreach initiative that honors
our veterans and has a strong educational component for schools. For more
information, please visit the Web site at
http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=3
In addition to supporting veteran and military organizations on a national
scale, we also support local organizations, some of which include:
Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association in Jackson Heights, New York
Yankee Air Force Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Hays County Veterans in San Marcos, Texas
Kenny Nickelson Memorial Foundation for Homeless Veterans in Manhattan
Beach, California
Reservist Benefits:
Target Corporation is proud to count many veterans and military reservists
among its more than 300,000 team members nationwide. To help support these
team members, Target Corporation provides benefits for activated
reservists, including pay differential, that surpass those benefits
required by law. The Reserve Officers Association has recognized our
company for these benefits. The National Committee for Employer Support of
the Guard and Reserve also lists Target on their Web site at
http://www.esgr.org/employers/outstandingEmployers.asp
Giving Policy:
Target gives to diverse causes that reflect all types of guests in a wide
variety of communities. While every cause is worthy, Target receives
thousands of grant requests every year and unfortunately is unable to grant
funds or partner with every organization. For more information that
describes the guidelines and the application process,visit any Target store
and ask for the grants brochure or go to target.com and click on "Community
Giving."
Marines Toys for Tots
Target has complete respect for the Toys for Tots program and all the
volunteers who make this program a success every year. Target has a
longstanding policy on no-solicitation by any group or organization at our
stores. This policy includes the use of our store locations as collection
or drop off sites for any type of activity. The only organization that we
allow to solicit at our stores is the Salvation Army during the holiday
season.
We appreciate the time you have taken to inquire about this issue. We
wholeheartedly support our veterans and active duty personnel, and we
appreciate the opportunity to personally convey our commitment to you.
Please share our information with anyone who has contacted you about this
issue.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hanson
Group Team Leader
Target Guest Relations
www.target.com
STEVEN A. McCALEB
MY OPINION