When it comes to corporate social responsibility, Perry Ellis is raising the bar. The company prides itself on giving back to the communities they do business in, and the company takes great pleasure in the fact that many of their associates feel just as passionately. Because of this drive to help those in need, PEI associates have created an internal Community Action Committee (CAC), which has been incredibly successful in philanthropic initiatives in cities such as Miami, Tampa, New York, Los Angeles and beyond.
The goal of the CAC is to raise money, materials and awareness for various community events and non-profit groups through bake sales, sample sales, volunteerism, food drives and more. In the last couple of months alone, PEI has participated in the March 19th South Florida AIDS walk, the April 30th March of Dimes March for Babies, the New York 5K REVLON Run/Walk for Women with cancer, the Rally for Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup, and a city park clean-up effort with NY Cares. These altruistic individuals also worked to sponsor the Miami Museum of Science’s First Annual Great Energy Challenge, donated t-shirts to the Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build, and raised money for the American Heart Association, Ronald McDonald House, the United Way and other non-profit organizations.
The CAC committee is designed to empower employees in selecting charities they feel deeply about, then planning initiatives to support these causes. This results in a large variety of outreach efforts in a wide range of categories. Whether it is to assist people, the planet or animals, PEI associates are showing how much they care. Recently the Humane Society was invited to bring animals to the head offices in Miami where quite a few pets found new, loving homes. The company also received national recognition as a Fit-Friendly workplace by the American Heart Association for their continued efforts to educate and inspire colleagues on living a healthier lifestyle, was named one of the Top 100 Minority Businesses and received the “On the Map – Miami and Beyond” award by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce,
But it doesn’t stop there. Upcoming initiatives include: a breakfast sale to benefit La Liga Contra El Cancer, a “Perry’s Got Talent Show and Craft Fair” to raise money for the United Way, a sample sale to benefit the Young Dreams Foundation, sponsorship of the Doral Business Run and much, much more. The Executive leadership of PEI also gets involved and recognized for their efforts. On May 10th, George Feldenkreis, Chairman and CEO, was the keynote speaker and American Dreamer award-winner at the Hispanic Unity of Florida Summit and Joseph Roisman, Executive Vice President, was honored by the Miami Beach Community Health Center on April 25th for his ongoing contributions to the Coop Thrift Store.
Exciting things are happening at Perry Ellis International for truly great reasons – and it is all because of the selfless efforts of their very dedicated and caring staff. When a company has the power to make a difference, it is excellent to have associates who are willing to devote time and effort above and beyond their job requirements, often after working hours, to make it happen.
For more information, visit: www.PERY.com. To request information on future outreach initiatives, email: CommunityActionCommittee@pery.com.