Macy's food pantry campaign stokes compassionate ideas

Fashion design community outreach: proposal for Macy’s

BY ANN PIASECKI, M.A.
Public Affairs Specialist
Email: Apiasecki2000@aol.com

Your television commercial announcing Macy’s commitment to restocking our country’s empty food pantries—the life source in today’s economy for millions of unemployed—captured my heart. It’s a wonderful outreach campaign that stoked my passion for Public Affairs Communications and Outreach.

If time and patience allows, I seek to share a broader perspective for building a partnership between Macy’s, Rainbow Push Coalition, the University of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. Based on a desire to promote sustainable economic development, environmentally safe practices, educational enrichment and entrepreneurial opportunities, I pose a series of authentic and genuine collaborations.

Consider a low-cost, highly visible campaign that cements Macy's "helping store" image as much as Santa Claus did in the 1947 Classic, "Miracle on 34th Street."

The Macy’s State Street store is only a few miles from the Hyde Park neighborhood, which is bordered by Lake Michigan and the Loop; this combination makes Hyde Park the perfect location for incorporating a Macy's-led education outreach project--especially if Chicago gets the nod to host the 2016 Olympics.

As one of Chicago’s most culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods, the opportunities for affective and effective partnership building are endless. The recipe for success, however, comes in understanding the social, political, economic and cultural forces that mark the community. Here, wealth and poverty live side-by-side; property values rise and fall within a matter of blocks.

The community lays claim to the home of President Barack Obama and the world famous University of Chicago. Its people and urban strife was captured in the ’50s, ’60s,’70s and ’80s by the iconic commentator Studs Terkel; and breathed life into Lorraine Hansberry’s, “A Raisin in the Sun.”

And despite the infusion of artistic, political, philosophical and scientific ideas that permeate the atmosphere, the neighborhood endures its share of crushing poverty and the chronic social implications that derive from that reality. For that reason alone the block-long headquarters of Rainbow Push Coalition, the church home of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, stands proud—a gentrified beacon of light in spite of its need for architectural tuck-pointing and bona fide growth of its business partnership programs.

As for Macy’s involvement, imagine a team of Chicago Public high school students enrolled in fashion design courses, working to reshape and redesign old clothes left in drop boxes at the downtown and suburban stores. A class of artisans could utilize the leftover scraps to fashion fabric purses or 2016 Olympic flags, quilts and more. Meanwhile, other students could unleash their ingenuity and creativity to recycle discarded costume jewelry, stringing together unique necklaces, creating rings and earring sets. These are just a few of the products that could be marketed as specialty goods within the Macy’s department store.

Capitalize further on the outreach project by collaborating with small business ventures to man specialty carts filled with student creations commemorating the 2016 Olympics, and site them in the Loop and just outside the Macy entrance to the Chicago Pedway. Student paintings, sculptures and photos (maybe featuring the historic State Street clock at Macy’s) would enhance the project as well.

Ultimately a healthy profit percentage could be dedicated to the schools to help fill in financial gaps, such as the after school tutoring programs that fell victim to state budget cuts. Student participants would benefit by delving into a variety of hands-on retail elements, including planning, marketing, sales and design. Perhaps Macy’s could arrange for presentations in which the students would glean insights about the fashion industry, target marketing, the art of creating store displays and the like.

A full-scale campaign, of course, would necessitate a series of news stories, human interest features, business articles, traditional media interviews, social media, Web site enhancements and online sales. Imagine the public relations bonanza from a successful program.

I believe it takes the kind of instinct and intuitive talent that a Chicago-based Public Affairs Communicator can offer in terms of strategy and implementation of a multi-pronged project such as this. The campaign would require information sharing and discussions with Macy's marketing team, state representatives, city officials and pertinent social service organizations to gain perspective. Meanwhile, the support of Mayor Daley, Chicago environmental advocate organizations, educators and more would be crucial. Consider tapping the University of Chicago Center for Development, Economics and Poverty Reduction along with Rainbow Push Coalition for their input and suggestions.

Macy’s compassion and leadership is already evident and appreciated. This proposed pilot project would be the icing on the cake: it's fun; it's creative; it's upbeat and it's vibrant. Actual implementation would make Macy's a model for genuine and practical sustainable development.