Nearly 240 Designer Brands associates stepped up to make their mark on our community on Friday, Oct. 3, delivering a combined 600 hours of impact across six sites in Franklin County. The volunteer event, held in partnership with United Way of Central Ohio and Besa, was filled with sunshine, teamwork and purpose as associates took part in projects supporting local schools, neighborhoods and nonprofit partners. From building raised garden beds to sorting thousands of donated items, the Step Up and Serve events showcased the power of collective action to strengthen the places where we live and work.
Designer Brand teams spread out to six locations—Champion Middle School, the Weinland Park neighborhood, and four local nonprofit partners: Motherful, WARM, Freedom a la Cart and Charity Newsies. At Charity Newsies, volunteers sorted 120 boxes—4,800 shirts and sweatshirts ready for families. At Motherful, they gave the space a full refresh by composting, sorting produce and clearing 10 bags of garden debris. Freedom a la Cart received support from a dedicated team that scooped and packaged thousands of cookies and transformed the outdoor area, while another crew at WARM organized hundreds of cans, produce and household goods for client distribution. Each nonprofit also received a $3,000 check from the Designer Brands Foundation.
Meanwhile, at Champion Middle School and in the Weinland Park neighborhood, associates made a visible mark on the environment. They built six raised garden beds for local schools, planted more than 80 mums and pollinator perennials, and gathered over 30 bags of trash through a 20-block cleanup in the Bronzeville neighborhood. In Weinland Park, volunteers cleaned gardens, removed waste and planted daffodil bulbs that will bloom come spring—a symbol of lasting renewal.
“I cannot thank our partners at United Way and Besa enough for helping our Designer Brands teams in Columbus, Ohio, successfully engage in our first-ever Step Up & Serve Day. On this day, we encouraged associates to pause, connect and give back with purpose,” said Kathryn Rainieri, a United Way board member and VP, Human Resources for Designer Brands. “Watching our teams come together to support the community was truly inspiring – reminding us that when we lead with heart, we create meaningful impact not only in our workplaces, but in the neighborhoods we call home.”
Thank you to the Designer Brands associates and leaders who not only gave their time and energy but also demonstrated what community impact looks like in action: purposeful, collaborative and deeply rooted in care!
