Hilco Global announced that during the Payless Shoe Store going-out-of-business sale, they purchased thousands of pairs of shoes to donate to local youth charities in Chicago, Boston, and New Jersey.

The in-kind donation is valued at over $75,000 at retail, and the shoes are being distributed through the Hilco Global philanthropic arm called Hilco Helps. The Hilco Helps team partnered with a network of non-profit organizations to deliver the shoes into communities in which the global financial services company currently operates, including Chicago, Boston, and New Jersey.

Gary Epstein, Executive Vice President – CMO at Hilco Global said, “The shoe donation to inner-city kids is the latest example of our commitment to philanthropy, which includes maximizing the impact of in-kind donations by purchasing excess inventory to provide clothing and other products to underserved local communities across the country.”

Through Hilco Helps, Hilco Global has donated millions of dollars of goods, services, and financial assistance to people in need around the world. For example, Hilco Global has provided support for well-known organizations such as the American Red Cross and United Way, by donating food and medical supplies as well as financial support for hurricane disaster relief programs. In addition, they have developed college scholarship and internship programs benefitting under-served students in Chicago, Boston, and other markets in the US. In 2018, Hilco Global donated thousands of new children’s toys and baby products, worth over $1,000,000. These toys were purchased from the bankrupt Toys R Us chain and distributed during the Holiday Season to underprivileged kids throughout Chicago and Boston. Additionally, Hilco Global is a sponsor for an initiative where employees help to pack and distribute over 50,000 backpacks filled with new, age-appropriate school supplies to ensure that children arrive at school on the first day prepared.

Epstein continued, “We emphasize supporting impactful programs and activities that support children to provide a better future and break the cycle of poverty. We work with many kid-focused organizations including Youth Guidance, The All Stars Project, Cradles to Crayons, the Chicago Public Schools, and the Chicago Public Library.”

In 2018, Hilco Redevelopment Partners, a division of Hilco Global, purchased the former Crawford Power Generating Station site in Chicago's Little Village with a vision to redevelop it into a state-of-the-art sustainable development bringing jobs, economic and community benefits. Maintaining their commitment to being an upstanding corporate partner, Hilco Helps recently sponsored a back-to-school shoe giveaway in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood during Project Play, a community event hosted by Beyond the Ball. Hilco Helpers interacted with local families and distributed over 600 pairs of shoes to children in the community, getting these children prepared for the upcoming school year. Hilco Redevelopment Partners also has transformative projects underway in New Jersey and Boston and plans on hosting similar events in those areas as well, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to giving back to the communities in which they work.

Every year Hilco Helps donates millions of dollars through in-kind and direct donations, as well as sponsorships that support organizations doing outstanding work. In addition to company donations and support, Hilco Global employees also get involved by donating time to relief efforts in disaster zones, churches, and schools across the country.

“Across every one of our global operating companies, Hilco Global has an unwavering commitment to charitable investments and philanthropy. Our position as a global company affords us the opportunity to support children and help lift them up in order to provide them a better future,” said Jeffrey B. Hecktman, Chairman and CEO of Hilco Global. “We’ve found great success in identifying charitable opportunities through the lens of our retail and wholesale inventory disposition practices and plan to continue to serve many communities in the future.”