California is Levi Strauss & Co.’s home state, and Los Angeles in particular holds a special place in our hearts — it’s the home of our Beyond Yoga® brand, the Haus of Strauss, hundreds of employees and more than 20 retail locations. We watched with heavy hearts as the fires in and around Los Angeles caused widespread destruction and uncertainty last month, and it became clear very quickly that we needed to contribute to relief efforts.
That’s why this month, Levi’s®, Beyond Yoga® and Dockers® joined forces with several other brands to host a two-day Benefit Shop to provide free clothing and products to people impacted by the recent fires in the greater Los Angeles region.
Getting Tens of Thousands of Products to Those in Need
Held at the Ovation Hollywood shopping center on February 7 and 8 and supported by LS&Co. employee volunteers and our communities, the Benefit Shop welcomed more than 1,700 people and gave away thousands of products ranging from clothing to backpacks and sunscreen.
Benefit Shop attendees shopped from a selection of more than 20,000 Levi’s®, Dockers® and Beyond Yoga® clothing and accessories across men’s, women’s and kids. Attendees were also able to select products from STATE Bags, Tea Collection, Ingrid+Isabel, Storq, Supergoop!, e.l.f., Bobbie, Rare Beauty, apthcry and Rothy’s. Shoppers impacted by the wildfires could select up to 17 items for free and make additional purchases at a heavily discounted price, with 100% of sales benefiting the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund. Anything that wasn’t claimed over the weekend was donated to our partners at Good360, who are distributing the remaining product to local organizations in LA County helping with wildfire relief.
By the end of the weekend, more than 30,000 new items had been donated to fire impacted individuals throughout the greater Los Angeles area through the Benefit Shop and Good360.
Creating a Sense of Community
The weekend wasn’t just about product, however. We also wanted to bring a sense of community and even a little joy to attendees. That’s why we worked with local vendors to provide food and drinks, offered customized screen printing with LA-inspired designs and hosted a live, interactive art experience designed by Corie Mattie, a multi-disciplinary street artist who specializes in mural pieces that can be seen throughout the streets of Los Angeles. We also brought in local DJs to play music throughout the event, in partnership with Amoeba Music in Hollywood.
A day before the Benefit Shop, Levi’s® and STATE bags also came together at The Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena to support nearly 200 fire impacted children and their families, providing some fun, food and essential supplies. With the Levi’s® airstream as the backdrop, Boys and Girls Club members danced to music and received free, new STATE backpacks and Levi’s® jackets and T-shirts that they could customize. Families enjoyed pizza and filled their backpacks with more product donations from several brands, including Bombas, Thistle Meals, SOLELY Snacks, Three Wishes Cereal and Olipop.
These events are just one small way that LS&Co. can bring a smile to some faces in the community. As one guest shared after attending the Benefit Shop, “I met former students of mine…and almost shed a tear. Everyone was so helpful and accommodating. Thank you all.”
Our Continued Support
In addition to the Benefit Shop, LS&Co. has also pledged $350,000 to organizations aiding with relief and recovery efforts. These include, to date, the American Red Cross, Baby2Baby, Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, California Community Foundation and California Fire Foundation.
“We know the journey to recovery will be a long one, but we are honored to stand with the community and provide our support when and where we can,” said Alexis Bechtol, director of Community Affairs at LS&Co.
