The French strike again
12-16-2003, 05:03 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: dover delaware
Age: 46
Posts: 84
The French strike again
Hey Guys got this in an email,
The French & Target Stores
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.
Withou the American Vets, where would France be today?
Feel free to pass this along to whomever you want.
Sincerely,
Dick Forrey
Veterans helping Veterans
I am getting word this story is bs but it just sounds like back peddling
The French & Target Stores
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.
Withou the American Vets, where would France be today?
Feel free to pass this along to whomever you want.
Sincerely,
Dick Forrey
Veterans helping Veterans
I am getting word this story is bs but it just sounds like back peddling
Last edited by DAFBFD58; 12-16-2003 at 08:17 PM.
but what can ya do right?
12-17-2003, 08:45 PM
#3
I Chose to No Longer Post
Join Date: Dec 2002
Age: 42
Posts: 6,267
Ok, here is the official version, straight from the VVA. I emailed them and cut and copied the note and everything, and they got back to me within a few hours, good for them. here you go:
President Corey has asked me to respond to your inquiry about Target Stores
philanthropic policies. Target Stores is the best source of information
about their philanthropic policies. You can access Target Stores on line and
check out their corporate policies and strategies on giving.
<http://www.target.com/gp/homepage.ht...192605-9579015>
<http://target.com/common/page.jhtml?...g_partnerships>
Our understanding, from a letter from Target Stores, which is quoted on the
Urban Legends page below, is that Target says, "[v]eterans programs may be
considered for grants if the subject matter falls into one of our three
general areas of giving: education, arts and family violence prevention."
Furthermore, some of the programs Target does fund (United Way, American Red
Cross, etc.) assist veterans indirectly. You might ask Target for a list of
all the community projects it has supported.
I must caution folks though that any successful boycott of Target (or any
other major national business) may well have a negative effect on some
veterans of all eras. Target is a major employer and I can't help but
believe that a significant number of their thousands of employees are
veterans or family members of veterans. The long term effect of a successful
boycott could well be the elimination of some jobs held by veterans or their
family members. I'm sure no one would find that a satisfactory solution to
the issue of whether or not Target directs funding to veterans
organizations.
We are not familiar with, nor are we affiliated with the "Vietnam Veterans
Association." With respect to "Dick Forrey" being a member of Vietnam
Veterans of America, Inc., which is a tax-exempt, Congressionally chartered
veterans service organization with over 500 local chapters, we do have a
member with a similar name, but are uncertain if it is the same "Dick
Forrey" who has distributed the e-mail regarding Target Stores.
The Urban Legends Reference Pages has looked at this issue and has produced
a balanced account of what apparently happened.
<http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/boycotts/target.htm>
Thank you for your concern.
Jim Doyle, Chair
Vietnam Veterans of America
Public Affairs Committee
_____
Unsolicited Testimony from a VVA Member
Veterans,
I think National V V A website covers this topic very well and I want to add
the following:
1. V V A Chapter 47 hosted the Moving Wall at Riverside National Cemetery
in 1998. The Target Store in Fontana, CA donated enough soft drinks and
bottled water to fill the back of my F350 pick up. They were even told that
this was to support the Vietnam Memorial Moving
Wall. This Target store said no problem, "What do you need"!
2. Being a fundraiser for the National Cemetery we tend to walk around with
the perception that organizations such as Target have the obligation to
support OUR cause. We may even walk into these establishments with our
hands out for a donation and a cocky "all or
nothing, leave no one standing" attitude.
What we are really trying for is the same dollar as all genuine charities
i.e. Cystic Fibrosis, Heart Assoc, Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy, St.
Jude's Hospital, Red Cross, United Way...and on...and on...and on. Who
wins?
What I have found out in fundraising is:
a) Company's establish charitable donation criteria and pretty much follow
those guidelines.
b) Dick Forrey was just not able to sell his story to Target to fit their
charitable giving criteria FOR CASH. What he could have done was to find
out what they were willing to do in terms of products, drinks, or employee
support which is the way the Grocery chains, Wal-mart and yes even Target,
do to support local causes.
c) He should understand that they do support other just causes and probably
would be very happy to provide him any statistics on their charitable
giving.
Extortion thru the Media is not the way to gain support for any cause.
Paul Adkins
Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee
V V A Chapter 47
_____
Target is an American Store
Excerpted from
<http://target.com/target_group/compa..._history.jhtml>
Unlike most other mass merchandisers, we have department store roots. Back
in 1961, Dayton's department store identified a demand for a store that sold
less expensive goods in a quick, convenient format. Target was born.
In 1962, the first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota. We were the
first retail store to offer well-known national brands at discounted prices.
The '70s
We paved new ground by implementing electronic cash registers storewide to
monitor inventory and speed up guest service. We also began hosting an
annual shopping event for seniors and people with disabilities, plus a toy
safety campaign.
The '80s
Opening new stores all the time, we rolled out electronic scanning
nationwide.
The '90s
We launched our first Target Greatland® store. Our Club Wedd
<http://target.com/target_group/gift_...club_wed.jhtml>
bridal gift registry went nationwide in 1995, and Lullaby Club
<http://target.com/target_group/gift_...laby_club.jhtm
l> soon followed. We opened our first SuperTarget
<http://target.com/target_group/supertarget/home.jhtml> store, which
combined groceries and special services with a Target Greatland store. We
introduced our credit card, the Target Guest Card*. And that's just the
beginning...
_____
Response from Target
Unfortunately, a letter has been circulating via e-mail for nearly a year
that misrepresents Target's support of veterans. Due to the nature of the
Internet and e-mail communication, this false information has been
perpetuated and modified many times by unknown writers. In fact, the
National Veterans of Foreign Wars posted a press release on their Web site
on December 6, 2002 to help clarify this issue at
http://www.vfw.org/news/target.htm
Target Corporation does support our veterans and is grateful for the efforts
of our men and women in uniform. In fact, for years Target has donated
funds and volunteer hours to local and national veteran and military
organizations around the country.
For example, Target is 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/travelingwall/index.html
Target Corporation also counts 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.
In addition to supporting veteran and military organizations on a national
scale, we also support local organizations, including:
· Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association in Jackson Heights, New York
· Hays County Veterans in San Marcos, Texas
· Kenny Nickelson Memorial Foundation for Homeless Veterans in
Manhattan Beach, California
· Disabled American Veterans Auxiliaries in Allen Park, Michigan and
Santa Fe Springs, California
· Yankee Air Force Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan
· Department of the Army (Fort Hood, Texas)
Target gives to diverse causes that reflect all types of guests in a wide
variety of communities. Any non-profit organization may apply for a grant.
In general, the organization's program or service to be funded by the grant
should meet our giving guidelines related to arts, education and family
violence prevention. While every cause is worthy, Target 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."
Thank you again for taking the time to inquire about this issue. We
wholeheartedly support our veterans and active duty personnel. We
appreciate the opportunity to personally convey our commitment to you, and
hope you will share our information with anyone who has contacted you about
this issue.
President Corey has asked me to respond to your inquiry about Target Stores
philanthropic policies. Target Stores is the best source of information
about their philanthropic policies. You can access Target Stores on line and
check out their corporate policies and strategies on giving.
<http://www.target.com/gp/homepage.ht...192605-9579015>
<http://target.com/common/page.jhtml?...g_partnerships>
Our understanding, from a letter from Target Stores, which is quoted on the
Urban Legends page below, is that Target says, "[v]eterans programs may be
considered for grants if the subject matter falls into one of our three
general areas of giving: education, arts and family violence prevention."
Furthermore, some of the programs Target does fund (United Way, American Red
Cross, etc.) assist veterans indirectly. You might ask Target for a list of
all the community projects it has supported.
I must caution folks though that any successful boycott of Target (or any
other major national business) may well have a negative effect on some
veterans of all eras. Target is a major employer and I can't help but
believe that a significant number of their thousands of employees are
veterans or family members of veterans. The long term effect of a successful
boycott could well be the elimination of some jobs held by veterans or their
family members. I'm sure no one would find that a satisfactory solution to
the issue of whether or not Target directs funding to veterans
organizations.
We are not familiar with, nor are we affiliated with the "Vietnam Veterans
Association." With respect to "Dick Forrey" being a member of Vietnam
Veterans of America, Inc., which is a tax-exempt, Congressionally chartered
veterans service organization with over 500 local chapters, we do have a
member with a similar name, but are uncertain if it is the same "Dick
Forrey" who has distributed the e-mail regarding Target Stores.
The Urban Legends Reference Pages has looked at this issue and has produced
a balanced account of what apparently happened.
<http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/boycotts/target.htm>
Thank you for your concern.
Jim Doyle, Chair
Vietnam Veterans of America
Public Affairs Committee
_____
Unsolicited Testimony from a VVA Member
Veterans,
I think National V V A website covers this topic very well and I want to add
the following:
1. V V A Chapter 47 hosted the Moving Wall at Riverside National Cemetery
in 1998. The Target Store in Fontana, CA donated enough soft drinks and
bottled water to fill the back of my F350 pick up. They were even told that
this was to support the Vietnam Memorial Moving
Wall. This Target store said no problem, "What do you need"!
2. Being a fundraiser for the National Cemetery we tend to walk around with
the perception that organizations such as Target have the obligation to
support OUR cause. We may even walk into these establishments with our
hands out for a donation and a cocky "all or
nothing, leave no one standing" attitude.
What we are really trying for is the same dollar as all genuine charities
i.e. Cystic Fibrosis, Heart Assoc, Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy, St.
Jude's Hospital, Red Cross, United Way...and on...and on...and on. Who
wins?
What I have found out in fundraising is:
a) Company's establish charitable donation criteria and pretty much follow
those guidelines.
b) Dick Forrey was just not able to sell his story to Target to fit their
charitable giving criteria FOR CASH. What he could have done was to find
out what they were willing to do in terms of products, drinks, or employee
support which is the way the Grocery chains, Wal-mart and yes even Target,
do to support local causes.
c) He should understand that they do support other just causes and probably
would be very happy to provide him any statistics on their charitable
giving.
Extortion thru the Media is not the way to gain support for any cause.
Paul Adkins
Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee
V V A Chapter 47
_____
Target is an American Store
Excerpted from
<http://target.com/target_group/compa..._history.jhtml>
Unlike most other mass merchandisers, we have department store roots. Back
in 1961, Dayton's department store identified a demand for a store that sold
less expensive goods in a quick, convenient format. Target was born.
In 1962, the first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota. We were the
first retail store to offer well-known national brands at discounted prices.
The '70s
We paved new ground by implementing electronic cash registers storewide to
monitor inventory and speed up guest service. We also began hosting an
annual shopping event for seniors and people with disabilities, plus a toy
safety campaign.
The '80s
Opening new stores all the time, we rolled out electronic scanning
nationwide.
The '90s
We launched our first Target Greatland® store. Our Club Wedd
<http://target.com/target_group/gift_...club_wed.jhtml>
bridal gift registry went nationwide in 1995, and Lullaby Club
<http://target.com/target_group/gift_...laby_club.jhtm
l> soon followed. We opened our first SuperTarget
<http://target.com/target_group/supertarget/home.jhtml> store, which
combined groceries and special services with a Target Greatland store. We
introduced our credit card, the Target Guest Card*. And that's just the
beginning...
_____
Response from Target
Unfortunately, a letter has been circulating via e-mail for nearly a year
that misrepresents Target's support of veterans. Due to the nature of the
Internet and e-mail communication, this false information has been
perpetuated and modified many times by unknown writers. In fact, the
National Veterans of Foreign Wars posted a press release on their Web site
on December 6, 2002 to help clarify this issue at
http://www.vfw.org/news/target.htm
Target Corporation does support our veterans and is grateful for the efforts
of our men and women in uniform. In fact, for years Target has donated
funds and volunteer hours to local and national veteran and military
organizations around the country.
For example, Target is 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/travelingwall/index.html
Target Corporation also counts 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.
In addition to supporting veteran and military organizations on a national
scale, we also support local organizations, including:
· Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association in Jackson Heights, New York
· Hays County Veterans in San Marcos, Texas
· Kenny Nickelson Memorial Foundation for Homeless Veterans in
Manhattan Beach, California
· Disabled American Veterans Auxiliaries in Allen Park, Michigan and
Santa Fe Springs, California
· Yankee Air Force Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan
· Department of the Army (Fort Hood, Texas)
Target gives to diverse causes that reflect all types of guests in a wide
variety of communities. Any non-profit organization may apply for a grant.
In general, the organization's program or service to be funded by the grant
should meet our giving guidelines related to arts, education and family
violence prevention. While every cause is worthy, Target 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."
Thank you again for taking the time to inquire about this issue. We
wholeheartedly support our veterans and active duty personnel. We
appreciate the opportunity to personally convey our commitment to you, and
hope you will share our information with anyone who has contacted you about
this issue.
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