College of Business Administration

GROUP MEMBERS:

Bauman
Pombert
Shelly
Wright

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Our goal with this social change project was to encourage and facilitate large retail businesses to establish charitable relationships with local needy organizations. The businesses we were able to get to participate were Costco Wholesale and Babies R Us retail. Our original intent was to help needy foster children, however, we decided to broaden our recipients to include women and children who are victims of abuse and domestic violence. Our group was successful at setting up weekly donation pickups with Costco Wholesale to two needy agencies, Angels Foster Family Agency, and the YWCA. These two organizations pick up selected goods set aside by Costco every week and the relationship is expected to last indefinitely.

Angels Foster Family Agency is a project designed to place foster children in quality family households, as well as help support the children in the process. The agency is a non-profit organization, which was established in 1999. This agency is in need of financial support, and has additional needs such as diapers and baby accessories. Our group was successful in establishing a relationship with La Mesa Costco and Angels to donate available diapers to them on a weekly basis. In addition to Costco, Babies R Us donated fifty-dollars in gift certificates to our cause. The YWCA is a homeless women and children's center designed to provide food and shelter, and provide a wide range of social services to assist them until they are able to support themselves. The YWCA is also involved with housing women who are victims of domestic violence and is currently assisting in the development of Becky's House, a shelter that specifically caters to women and children, who are victims of domestic violence. This non-profit organization is also in need of financial support, food, clothing, and a wide range personal care products. Our group was successful in establishing a relationship where the YWCA picks up weekly donations such as Diapers, clothing and personal care products, from Mission Valley Costco Wholesale.

The donation pickup relationship began on November the 6th for both organizations and are designed and expected to continue indefinitely. Angels Foster Family Agency picks up diapers at least once a week from La Mesa Costco. Our group was able to get Costco to participate in this project by a letter of solicitation and by setting up a meeting with a warehouse manager and the CEO of Angels. The YWCA has agreed to pickup selected donations from Mission Valley Costco three times a week at a time, which Costco has agreed to. This relationship was established by the use of solicitation letters, management meetings, and phone calls.

Project participants were given thank you letters, as well as thanked personally by each organization's leader. Angels has also agreed to publicly announce Costco and Babies R Us as a supporter in their magazine ads. Costco will ultimately gain a favorable reputation through these relationships and will aid in advertisement for the business. All who participated in this project also enjoyed the experience of taking part in helping a good cause.

Since the beginning of this project, there have been a total of fourteen pick-ups valuing approximately a total of $1,400. Our group expects these established relationships to continue well into the future. We hope that Costco Wholesale will be able to play a significant role in helping these organizations accomplish their goals. Costco has also set an example for other large business to follow and by helping to make a difference in their community. Needy women and children have always been a vulnerable group in society and further action must be taken by society to ensure that these groups are supported with the help of others.