I’m going to be honest: I’ve always felt a little weird shopping during Memorial Day sales. Here we are, supposed to be mourning the soldiers who died for our country, but instead, we’re celebrating the hot deal we just got on the latest summer trend.

Well…up until an hour ago, I thought I’d just quietly rebel by missing out on awesome deals. I thought that was the price I had to pay to do the right thing. It turns out, I was just wasn’t looking at the right store. So, since you can read the title of this post and see the big image with a soldier and jcpenney, you’re probably wondering what they have to do with all of this.

Every month, jcpenney’s philanthropic organization, jcp cares, spreads awareness about a chosen nonprofit to thousands of people. When these shoppers visit jcpenney stores or shop online, they have the option to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and support the chosen nonprofit. The campaign started last July, right before Independence Day. They celebrated the launch of jcp cares and the upcoming patriotic holiday by highlighting a nonprofit that provides emotional support for American troops and their families: the United Service Organizations (USO).

jcp cares chose Blake Shelton, country music star and judge on “The Voice,” to kick off the campaign as their ambassador. He was eager to get involved because he felt a strong connection to the USO — his dad was a Korean War veteran and his brother was a veteran of the Army. On July 6, 2012, jcpenney provided hundreds of complimentary tickets to Ft. Drum soldiers and their families to attend his sold-out show in Watertown, N.Y. Along with a chance to meet Blake Shelton, jcpenney gave the USO a check for $1 million. On top of that, jcp cares pledged to donate $1 for every Foursquare check-in to jcpenney between July 23rd to 31st!

If you shop at jcpenney this weekend, you won’t have to feel guilty about indulging during Memorial Day sales. In addition to the donation that you’ll be making when you shop at jcpenney through We-Care.com, you can also round up your purchases to support this month’s cause, Habitat for Humanity. As a brand that has donated $1 million dollars in a day alone to the USO, you can feel confident that they haven’t forgotten about the soldiers that are fighting for us and those who have fallen for us.

Read other posts from the “What’s in a Name?” series >>

When Shakespeare challenged us by asking ‘What’s in a name?’, it gave us a lot to think about.  All around the world, we wear brand names on our clothes, bags, and shoes inadvertently assisting brands with their advertising, allowing ourselves to represent what they represent.  Makes you think twice about the brands you’re representing right now, huh?

As you know, We-Care.com empowers users to shop on behalf of their favorite cause.  We do this by donating a portion of their shopping from over 2000 online merchants to the cause that they choose to support.  This means that we represent over 2000 brands on our site.  So, just as you have to be cautious about the brands you represent, we have to feel good about the ones we work with too.  To do this, we hand-pick the brands that we represent to ensure that they’re more than just great names– they’re pretty amazing too.

Our “What’s in a Name” Series will represent the best of the best on our site.  These are brands that spend every single day giving consumers reasons to wear their brand with pride.

To begin our series, I’d like to share what I’ve recently learned about the Lands’ End brand.  I recently visited their headquarters in Dodgeville, WI and got to see firsthand that this is a brand that doesn’t just “talk the talk”, they go out of their way to “walk the walk” when it comes to quality.  Over the next five weeks, we’ll share how they do this.

When we ask Lands’ End “what’s in a name?”, they’ve got quite a bit to brag about.  Enjoy!

LANDS’ END Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Everyone knows the name “Macy’s” and the famous slogan that comes with it. By the end of this series, you’ll truly understand what the “Magic of Macy’s” is all about. Last year alone, the famous department store donated over $66 million to charities. It’s impossible to capture all of the work that they’ve done, but you can certainly get a taste of their generosity over the next five weeks.

MACY’S Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Narrowing this down to just a handful of posts is going to be a challenge but, over the next five weeks, we will certainly do our best to highlight some of the things about The Body Shop that really made us respect this brand on a whole new level.

THE BODY SHOP Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Everyone knows the Dell brand name, and millions of people own a Dell laptop or computer. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’re reading this very blog post off of a Dell product right now. But Dell represents more than just a familiar name with quality products – they also support environmental sustainability, education of underprivileged youth through the use of technology, and care for children with cancer.

DELL Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) believes that hotels can be so much more than successful businesses – they can be engines for good. IHG’s philanthropic efforts has changed lives and created opportunities through employment training, disaster relief, and Green program initiatives.

IHG Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Founded by two philanthropic people, Priceline has stayed true to its roots through ongoing support of local and national nonprofit work. Their generosity has empowered communities, but their humility has prevented them from boasting. So, naturally, we jumped at the opportunity to brag about them and tell their story.

Priceline.com Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

This isn’t the first time that we’ve written about Lands’ End, and it certainly won’t be the last. In our previous Lands’ End series, we discussed the effort that they put into the quality of their clothing. Now, it’s time to show you how passionate they are about keeping our planet clean.

LANDS’ END Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The word “value” can be interpreted in a number of ways. The average shopper might think about the value that comes with a name-brand product, a low-priced product, or a combination of the two. However, if you’re not the average shopper, you might find value in something deeper than what you’re actually buying. You might wonder what the store values when they’re not in a retail setting.

At jcpenney, they don’t believe that their customers have to choose between these values. You can easily spot the low prices and name-brands on their website, but we’re here to show you their support for our troops, our schools, cancer patients, and more.

jcpenney Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Choice Hotels International proudly accommodates their guests in over 30 countries, with more than 500,000 rooms in the economy, mid-scale, and upscale segments. As a lodging company, their core mission is to provide people with a comfortable place to rest, so they decided to partner with a nonprofit that shared the same values. In 2009, Choice Hotels International joined forces with Rebuilding Together.

For the past 30 years, Rebuilding Together has rehabilitated homes for low-income elderly, disabled veterans, and families with children. Their 3.4 million volunteers have provided critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy efficient upgrades to over 100,000 low-income homes and community centers. Nearly 1,000 employees from Choice Hotels International have volunteered over 6,000 hours of service to this organization.

“We started this relationship with Rebuilding Together because we wanted to make a positive impact in our community and across the country, but what we didn’t realize was how positive the impact was going to be on our associates and hotel owners,” said Stephen P. Joyce, president and chief executive officer for Choice Hotels International. “Getting out of the office and working on projects together bonds us on a deeper level and makes us better at doing our jobs.”

Building a Healthy Neighborhood

Last June, over 900 volunteers took on a project to make the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia a safer place to live. Choice Hotels International was one of the major sponsors of the event, and they also contributed to the volunteer work. The Overbrook Environmental Education Center received environmentally sustainable improvements to their space, and thirty-one homeowners received critical home repairs and exterior work.

Make a Difference Day

Make A Difference Day was founded by USA WEEKEND Magazine in partnership with HandsOn Network. Every year, on the fourth Saturday in October, millions of Americans unite for a common goal: to improve the lives of others.

Last year, from August 21st to September 12, Choice Hotels International and the Rebuilding Together Dreams Project held a contest. The winning organization would receive $20,000 for facility restorations. The winner of this contest, with over 4,000 votes, was the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Once Make A Difference Day came around, volunteers from Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn provided critical repairs for the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services at no cost to them. Volunteers assembled shelves, painted, built a new outdoor kitchen, and planted fruit trees and gardens. The three other finalists, C.E. McGruder Family Resource Center, Urban Underground, and Helping Abused Neglected Disadvantaged Youth (HANDY), also received $1,000 grants for making it to the final round.

Helping Veterans

U.S. VETS, based in Phoenix, provides homeless and at-risk veterans with case management, employment assistance, job placement, and counseling. They care for 2,000 veterans every day in drug and alcohol-free housing facilities. Three months ago, Choice Hotels and Rebuilding Together Valley of the Sun helped repair this veteran facility. Volunteers installed vinyl flooring, shelving, and new stairs in front of the building. Grounds were landscaped, parking lots were repainted, furniture was assembled, and they even painted a patriotic mural!

Room to Rebuild

These are only a few of many projects that Choice Hotels International has been involved in. Visit their website to learn more about their work with Rebuilding Together.

On Monday afternoon, a massive tornado devastated areas of Oklahoma. The tornado left at least 91 dead, homes destroyed, and the area’s infrastructure in ruins. Both the US government and national and local disaster relief organizations have been quick to respond to the disaster, but they need help. Below are a collection of organizations providing support, relief, and recovery to those in Oklahoma. If you’d like to help, take a look and support one of these organizations.

Txt TWISTER to 20222 to donate $10 to Save the Children to help us respond to tornado in Oklahoma & other US disasters. Std rates apply.

— Save the Children (@SavetheChildren) May 21, 2013

Text ‘RELIEF’ to 27722 to donate $10 to #tornado recovery efforts from your phone. Standard message rates apply.

— Direct Relief(@DirectRelief) May 21, 2013

You can support #Moore response & other disasters by txting REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10, or online at redcross.org — American Red Cross (@RedCross) May 21, 2013

A $10 donation feeds a #disaster survivor for one day. Text “STORM” to 80888 to support survivors via mobile phone. #SalvationArmyUS — Salvation Army USA (@SalvationArmyUS) May 21, 2013

Our May Tornado Relief Fund will serve immediate, intermediate & long-term needs for years to come. To contribute, call us at 405-236-8441. — United Way OKC (@unitedwayokc) May 21, 2013

$10 Donations can also be made by texting tornado to 32333 twitter.com/rfbo/status/33… — Regional Food Bank (@rfbo) May 21, 2013

NEWS RELEASE: Operation USA to Aid Tornado Relief Efforts in Moore, Oklahoma and Surrounding Areas opusa.org/news-release-o…

— OperationUSA (@OperationUSA) May 21, 2013

If you’d like to join in and support Save the Children through We-Care.com, visit savethechildren.we-care.com/getstarted. Create an account and you can track your impact, receive special deals and coupons, and get stories from causes you care about.
 

Left image: If you feel like you’ve seen this swim top before, you’re probably right — it was featured in Glamour Magazine. Although you can’t tell from this picture alone, this tankini can be worn in multiple ways. The top shown above is cinched with a v-neck line for a flattering fit, but if you’d prefer more coverage, you can remove the v-neck. You can wear the straps in the traditional way and adjust the length for a perfect fit, or you can change it up with a crisscross design in the back.  The Mastectomy line been specially crafted with a higher neckline, higher armholes, sewn-in soft cups, prosthesis pockets, and no underwire. All other sizes have a soft underwire bra to provide support. Shop Now >>

Right image: There’s a reason why this SwimMini has been such a hit — it’s adorable! Even better, it has tummy control with a waistband that won’t dig into your body. However, if you have been working out for the upcoming season and already have washboard abs, you could always choose this style without the tummy control. Shop Now >>

Left image: If you’re an active guy, you don’t want to go into the water without a quality rash guard. This one will protect your skin from sand, surfboards, scuba straps, and other annoying irritations. The lightweight fabric will prevent you from feeling hot in the sun, and it dries quickly with just a few shakes. It fits close to the body to avoid “ballooning” up while you’re in the water, but also has four-way stretching which allows you to move with ease.  Shop Now >>

Right image: The design on these trunks is pretty cool, but I know that’s only secondary to the main focus — comfort. These bottoms have been especially made with a three-piece liner, so you don’t have to be hassled with seams in places where they don’t belong. Shop Now >>

Left image: The flowery design is playful and fun, but the ruffled one-shoulder style is what really makes this suit unique. She’ll adore the look, and you’ll appreciate the built-in sun protection, made with the highest UPF rating possible. Shop Now >>

Right image: This bottom is not a coverup — it has a bikini brief on the inside with a cute skirt attached to add some flair. The material is quick to dry, so you don’t have to worry about her sitting on the car seat with a soaking wet bottom. My mother would’ve been so happy if these were around when I was a kid… Shop Now >>

Left image: It’s not easy to convince a stubborn boy to protect himself from the sun. Fortunately, this rash guard has UPF 50 protection which covers up his shoulders, back, and other areas that are prone to sunburn. Available in a range of bright colors, you’ll find that it’s easier to spot him on a crowded beach. Shop Now >>

Right image: He’ll love these ShakeDry trunks. They’re fortified with a durable water repellent finish that makes water bead up and roll away. In fact, they’re Lands’ End’s quickest drying swim trunks yet! They have been tested to last for 20 washes, so, considering the rate he’s growing, that’s more than enough time to wear them. Shop Now >>

Two classics have been made new again: The Great Gatsby and Star Trek. If you haven’t seen the movies yet, buy your tickets in advance at Fandango and earn a $0.25 donation to you chosen cause! If you’ve already seen these movies and loved them, check out some of the fantastic merchandise below that can also earn a donation to your favorite nonprofit, charity, organization, or school.

Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman, and child deserves to have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live. jcpenney couldn’t agree more, so for this month’s jcp cares initiative, they decided to support the cause.

There are nearly 2 billion people around the world who live in slums, and more than 100 million who are homeless. Without adequate housing, they’re often deprived of simple resources, such as sinks and showers. This puts them at risk for diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhea, and malaria.

Habitat for Humanity offers home ownership opportunities to individuals and families who are unable to obtain conventional financing for a house. In exchange for Habitat’s generosity, recipients of new homes pay it forward by committing 300 to 500 hours of “sweat equity” on future construction efforts.

Generally, people who receive assistance from Habitat for Humanity are hard-working, but their annual salaries are 30 to 50 percent of the median income in their area. In other cases, people have lost their homes due to natural disasters or war. Regardless of the situation, over 1 million supporters proudly volunteer each year through Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild and change lives of people who need homes.

Michael Graves, a world-renowned architect and designer, will be joining jcpenney in support of Habitat for Humanity. As a long-standing advocate for the disabled, Graves has designed a Habitat for Humanity house that focuses on accessibility and universal design. Habitat for Humanity will use the new design to build homes with low-income families who require accessibly designed houses.

jcp cares allows you to round up your purchase both in stores and online to support this amazing cause. If you decide to participate via jcpenney.com, you’ll find the option to round up your purchase right before you check out. When I checked a few days ago, the total raised for Habitat for Humanity was $538,068. Today, it’s already at $588,304! Together, We-Care.com and jcpenney are proving that micro-donations, just a few cents at a time, can add up to something meaningful.

Read other posts from the “What’s in a Name?” series >>

I don’t think it’s fair to say that one nonprofit is more important than the other, but everyone’s personal beliefs and interests play a huge role in choosing the organization that they want to support. For me, it happens to be mental health.

There are so many causes out there that are capable of doing amazing things, but I think certain ones get more attention and support because their concepts are less taboo. So many of us wouldn’t think twice before we stepped up to help someone else, but we rarely do the same for ourselves. We feel guilty when we don’t appreciate the things we already have. We see those commercials of children crying from hunger, or smiling from the little they have, and we think, “who am I to complain?”

If you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or lonely, it’s important to acknowledge that. No problem is too small, and you deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin. It might sound like I’m stating the obvious, but so many people suffer in silence because they don’t want to admit there’s a problem. Even worse, many people start to isolate themselves when their loved ones just don’t understand “what the big deal is.”

I proudly work for a company that allows our users to support over 700 causes, just by shopping online. We’ve donated millions of dollars to awesome charities such as the ASPCA, Clean Water Action, and Save the Children, but I’d like to take the time to show support for some mental health causes (local and international) that deserve to shine in the spotlight. To learn how this all works, check out We-Care.com.

Fighting Stigmas & Raising Awareness

FERMI
Your purchase through this site helps Foundation for Education & Research on Mental Illness.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

DAMON AND STELLA FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Your purchase through this site helps The Damon and Stella Foundation for Mental Health increase awareness of mental health issues and the societal stigma against those with mental illness, through awareness campaigns and grants to other mental health nonprofit organizations.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

COMMUNITY FIRST SPORTS FOUNDATION
Your purchase through this site helps Community First Sports Foundation provide an equal opportunity for boys and girls to take part in organized sports and derive the psychological, physiological and sociological benefits of sports participation.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

Providing Hope

ICCD
Your purchase through this site helps ICCD create solutions for people with mental illness. They help communities around the world create ICCD Clubhouses, which are community centers that give people with mental illness hope and opportunities to reach their full potential.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

CARE PLUS FOUNDATION
Your purchase through this site helps Care Plus Foundation build a brighter world for those suffering with mental illness. Your support DIRECTLY helps clients achieve life goals by building better lives for themselves and their families.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

GALAXY COUNSELING CENTER
Your purchase through this site helps Galaxy Counseling Center improve the lives of nearly 2,000 people in their community each year.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

HOPE RECOVERY SERVICES
Your purchase through this site helps Hope Recovery Services help adults, youth, and families move away from life-destructive dependencies and into a life of recovery.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

HOPE FOR YOUTH, INC.
Your purchase through this site helps Hope For Youth, Inc. serve neglected, abused, and abandoned youth with preventive, intervention, and out-patient services.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

THE RELATIONAL CENTER
Your purchase through this site helps The Relational Center provide collaborative counseling, group work, resource coordination, and psychiatric support.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

LAMPION CENTER
Your purchase through this site helps the Lampion Center provide stability and hope for children, families, and individuals through counseling, adoptions services, and community outreach.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY
Your purchase through this site helps Crisis Center of Tampa Bay offer help, hope and healing to all people experiencing life’s problems and challenges, big and small.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

CHILD MIND INSTITUTE
Your purchase through this site helps Child Mind Institute commitment to improving the mental health of children everywhere.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

MARGARET ANN’S PLACE
Your purchase through this site helps Margaret Ann’s Place provide awareness, education, and support for children and their families when they are grieving a death. We help children regain their ability to function in school, at home, and with peers, and promote positive mental and physical health.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

At-Risk Youth

PANZOU PROJECT
Your purchase through this site helps PanZOu Project save our youth from street gangs and prevent gang violence by offering them a vision of change and the tools they need to make those changes happen in their lives and communities!

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

RISE ABOVE FOR YOUTH
Your purchase through this site helps Rise Above for Youth provide much needed services to at-risk youth.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

Child Abuse

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM
Your purchase through this site helps the Child Abuse Prevention Program teach elementary school children how to recognize, resist and report physical and sexual abuse. Teaching children to recognize, resist and report physical and sexual abuse helps to keep them safe and works to end the cycle of abuse.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER FOR THE 31ST
Your purchase through this site helps the Children’s Advocacy Center for the 31st Judicial District of Tennessee provide for the future well-being of our children. We serve as a safe, child friendly place where victims of child abuse may come tell their story and receive help to overcome this life-altering event.

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CHILDREN’S TRUST FUND
Your purchase through this site helps Children’s Trust Fund prevent child abuse before it happens. In partnership with over 100 community-based organizations, Children’s Trust Fund leads efforts across the state of Massachusetts to strengthen and support families.

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WHOLE CHILD INTERNATIONAL
Your purchase through this site helps Whole Child International, an organization that is devoted to improving the lives of orphaned, abandoned, abused, and neglected children worldwide. We work to restructure existing children’s institutions to focus on children’s emotional needs, ultimately creating the possibility for healthy integration into society.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

GENESEE COUNTY CASA FOR CHILDREN, INC.
Your purchase through this site helps the Genesee County CASA for Children, Inc. train citizen volunteers to advocate for abused and/or neglected children in the family court system.

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CAMP HORIZON
Your purchase through this site helps Camp Horizon provide no-cost, year-round programs to metro Atlanta’s youth in foster care. We work to restore dignity and hope to children, teens and young adults, who have been abused and neglected — empowering them to make good decisions and lead healthy, productive lives.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

FOREVER HOMES
Your purchase through this site helps Forever Homes help abused, abandoned, and neglected kids find permanent, safe, and loving homes.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

Sexual Abuse

PANDORA’S AQUARIUM, INC.
Your purchase through this site helps Pandora’s Aquarium provide support, education, and resources to rape and sexual abuse survivors and their supporters.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

THE WELLHOUSE
Your purchase through this site helps the WellHouse rescue women and children in human trafficking.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

HIS STORY COACHING AND COUNSELING
Your purchase through this site helps His Story Coaching and Counseling provide counseling services to women who are victims of domestic violence, as well as women who are attempting to get out of the sex trade.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

Substance Abuse

ADA S. MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC.
Your purchase through this site helps Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc. provide a mental health and substance abuse service to those in need on the South Side of Chicago.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

CENTRAL NASSAU GUIDANCE & COUNSELING
Your purchase through this site helps Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services help individuals and families struggling with mental health and/or substance abuse issues.

Learn more ||  Shop in support of this cause

Disclaimer: The statements made in this post represent my personal views and do not represent the views of We-Care.com.

It’s hard enough for most women to find swimsuits that fit their bodies properly, but for breast cancer survivors, it can be even tougher. Lands’ End wanted every woman to feel confident while she went out in the sun, so they created a custom mastectomy swimwear line that’s entirely dedicated to breast cancer survivors. In addition, many of their other collections, including plus-size and petite, have mastectomy options.

To learn more about this particular collection, we interviewed one of the members of the Lands’ End design team who was involved in the creation of this line.

Here is a piece from a letter we recently received regarding our mastectomy suits:

“I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for providing breast cancer survivors with a fantastic line of mastectomy bathing suits. I am 36 years old and was struggling with finding a suit that fit my prosthetics. It’s difficult in itself to find a suit that fits! Then throw in a person who has had a mastectomy and it becomes almost impossible…Thanks again for providing individuals like me a chance to feel normal. To be able to enjoy the beach and summer months with my children means more than you know!” – HB

Click here to see the Lands’ End mastectomy swimwear collection >>