Posted by Christine Guarino

Last week, a new Marshalls store opened at 1265 Main Street in Waltham, just down the road from JF&CS Headquarters. As part of their grand opening initiative and ongoing commitment to giving back to the communities in which they operate, Marshalls and the TJX Foundation (the parent company of Marshalls) selected JF&CS as a community partner. At the grand opening event, Marshalls store manager Laurie Valorie presented JF&CS CEO Rimma Zelfand with a $5,000 check. Several other JF&CS staff members were in attendance as well as Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and a crowd of local shoppers. Before the ribbon was cut, Ms. Valorie shared remarks, noting her admiration of the work done by JF&CS and her hope for a long-term partnership with the agency.

The generous gift is designated to our Services for People with Disabilities & Mental Illness Meaningful Days program. Additionally, Marshalls has hired a Meaningful Days participant to work in the new store.

As JF&CS looks to further partnerships with corporations, we hope that the relationship with Marshalls/TJX will serve as a model for future corporate engagement. We are thrilled to have their generous philanthropic support and even more excited that the company is interested in engaging with our programs.

I know I'm not the only JF&CS employee looking forward to some after-work shopping trips. When you stop into the new store, be sure to thank the team at Marshalls for their support of our agency!

Christine Guarino is the Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations at JF&CS. As part of her newly created position, she is working to expand corporate philanthropy and create opportunities for the agency to become engaged with local and national corporations. Prior to her work at JF&CS, Christine worked as an executive recruiter for development positions in nonprofit organizations and in corporate and foundation fundraising for The Guidance Center in Cambridge.