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Target^® Employees Celebrate MLK Day by Volunteering at Baltimore City Public School

On Monday January 28, 2010, 86 Target employees celebrated MLK Day by volunteering at the Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship (IBE). Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) helped Target identify the projects at the school, purchase the supplies and manage the volunteers. This project channeled over $30,000 in donations and volunteer hours to the school.

For approximately five hours, volunteers worked on cleaning and painting lockers, the library and two classrooms that were transformed into the new Dance Room and a Food Pantry. The projects identified by BVU will enhance the students' learning experience by providing opportunities for students to connect classroom learning to real-world applications, support creative/ extracurricular activities and improve the school’s physical environment.

Teachers and staff believe the Food Pantry will be a tool for teaching students and families about small business management, retail, merchandising and inventory. The IBE students who are interested in pursuing a career in a variety of commercial and business-related fields will gain first-hand experience as they manage the Food Pantry.

With the addition of the new Dance Room, IBE will be able to expand its after school programming to help students gain exposure to arts and culture while stimulating their creativity through dance.  The library project will create a comfortable reading and learning environment where all students can focus on studying or let their imagination run wild as they read about fiction and nonfiction events/characters.

“We are thrilled to have connected Target with IBE. The work done by Target volunteers to improve the school facilities is especially important as years of research show that there is a relationship between student performance and the condition of school grounds," said Nan Bambara, BVU’s Director of Business Services.

To find out how your company can partner with a Baltimore City public school, contact BVU’s Director of Community Engagement, Jim Dickinson at 410-366-0910.

About IBE

The Institute of Business and Entrepreneurship (IBE) High School is one of Baltimore City public school System’s new and innovative small learning communities. The mission at IBE is to “create a community of empowered lifetime learners equipped with the attitudes, skills and proficiencies needed to succeed in college and in the 21st Century global workforce.”

About Business Volunteers Unlimited Maryland (BVU)

BVU inspires volunteerism by connecting motivated people and businesses with the nonprofits and communities that need them most. As the primary resource for recruiting, developing and organizing volunteers in the Greater Baltimore area, BVU has referred more than 50,000 people to meaningful volunteer opportunities. Through its extensive network of more than 350 nonprofit organizations, BVU has organized over 400 service projects in Baltimore City and the surrounding region.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at more than 1,600 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

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