US Together Granted $50,000 From the Hollister Confidence Project
US Together is pleased to announce that our agency is one of the 2022 recipients of the Hollister Confidence Fund grant program, a 501(c)(3) charity that supports individuals and nonprofits working to strengthen confidence and mental wellness in teens. As a recipient, US Together will be granted $50,000 to support its goal of helping Afghan evacuees and other refugee youth overcome pre-immigration trauma and post-arrival culture shock. The announcement comes in celebration of Hollister’s World Teen Mental Wellness Day; an annual event held on March 2 that the global teen retailer founded in partnership with the National Day Calendar to dismantle the stigma around teen mental health.
“US Together is beyond grateful for the dedication and support of the Hollister Confidence Project. Over the past several months, Us Together-Cleveland has not only been tasked with rebuilding its local resettlement network to ensure capacity for the anticipated increase in refugee arrival numbers but to also navigate the immediate Afghan emergency response initiative taking place now in Cleveland, OH,” stated Ron Hedrick, Director of US Together Cleveland office. “With support from the Hollister Confidence Fund, we look forward to ensuring newly arrived refugee youth can recover from the trauma they have faced through behavioral health case management, support groups, access to healthcare, and more.”
US Together’s Columbus and Cleveland offices will be using the funds granted by the Hollister Confidence Project to help recent refugee youth ages 12 to 21 recover from trauma caused by tragic circumstances of their departure, integrate into their new lives in the US, build effective support networks, and be ready to lead productive and meaningful lives in a new land. This will be done via support and educational group activities, behavioral case management, individual life skills mentoring, and suicide prevention activities.
“We have the unique opportunity of being there for our customers during truly formative times in their lives, and we know mental health is a huge part of that journey – which is why we’re passionate about supporting initiatives that improve teens’ well-being,” said Kristin Scott, Global Brand President at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “We are honored to give back to these organizations and projects through the Hollister Confidence Project and to support those who are working to champion these causes day in and day out within our communities.”
The Hollister Confidence Fund is part of The Hollister Confidence Project, a year-round, worldwide initiative dedicated to helping teens feel their most comfortable, confident, and capable. This year’s grant recipients were selected by The Hollister Confidence Project’s advisory board, which consists of mental health experts, educators, and Hollister brand representatives. Twenty non-profit organizations and projects nationwide will be given grants totaling $1 million, all to build further confidence among teens across a variety of communities. To learn more about the Hollister Confidence Project, click here.