Howard Brown Health Center Debuts New Campaign for Brown Elephant: Donate Shop Save Lives

Media Contacts:
Marissa Ellenby 
Public Communications Inc. 
mellenby@pcipr.com  
(312) 558-1770, ext. 155 

Campaign features loyal Brown Elephant customers, including State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz,
connecting purchases at popular resale locations to lifesaving services at community health center

CHICAGO – Dec. 16, 2011 – Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) unveiled a new campaign to refresh the façade of its retail stores, the Brown Elephant, sharing the personal experiences of donors and shoppers who directly impact HBHC. The campaign – Donate Shop Save Lives – features a special appearance from State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, a longtime HBHC ally and frequent shopper at the Brown Elephant, along with seven other customers.

During a special event at the Brown Elephant (3651 North Halsted St.) in Lakeview, HBHC President and CEO Jamal M. Edwards unveiled the Donate Shop Save Lives campaign saying, “We wanted to introduce a campaign that was visually capable of persuading new and repeat customers to support our efforts in delivering quality, lifesaving health care to those who cannot afford it, by donating or shopping in our stores.”

“Many of our customers simply aren’t aware that their donated items or the purchases they make, translate into crucial medical exams or lab work that could save someone’s life; so we thought this campaign would help us convey that message.”

After being approached to serve as a face for the campaign, Rep. Feigenholtz generously lent her support and image to Donate Shop Save Lives.

“The Brown Elephant is not only the place to find one-of-a-kind pieces, but it’s also serving a wonderful cause since the proceeds from purchases support Howard Brown Health Center’s annual charity care efforts,” said Rep. Feigenholtz. “I am thrilled to be involved with Howard Brown Health Center, an organization that has a long history of providing essential health services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.”

In the window panel displaying Rep. Feigenholtz’s image, accompanied by the copy:  “Shop Warmth”, she dons a long, pink coat, which she purchased at the Brown Elephant and wore for the first time during last year’s winter election season.  The coat generated numerous compliments and inquiries.

The Donate Shop Save Lives campaign is the beginning of an ongoing marketing effort to refresh the Brown Elephant brand, sharing real stories of Brown Elephant customers and HBHC clients, while strengthening the community’s connection between the business of the resale shops and the care delivered by the health center.

The Brown Elephant is always seeking donations of quality men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, used, yet current and working electronics, furniture, housewares, books and toys, and working, recent generation smartphones and cellphones. Local retailers and companies are encouraged to donate surplus and out-of-season inventory to the Brown Elephant shops as a charitable contribution to the community health center.

Through the retail branch of the organization, Howard Brown Health Center is a champion for the health and wellness for all LGBT people. Revenue from the Brown Elephant represents a vital portion of charity care funding.  Each year, more than 740,000 items are sold as over 220,000 people visit one of the three Brown Elephant locations in the neighborhoods of Lakeview and Andersonville in Chicago and Oak Park. The donation areas at the Brown Elephants are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  All stores are open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.  For more information, please visit www.howardbrown.org/brownelephant.

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About Howard Brown Health Center
Founded in 1974, Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) is one of the nation's largest health care and research organizations, primarily serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and its allies. With an annual budget of approximately $18 million, it is the largest such organization in the Midwest and serves more than 36,000 adults and youth each year throughout the region. As an innovative and growing patient-centered health home, HBHC provides primary medical care, behavioral health services, and specialty chronic and infectious disease services, and conducts nationally-renowned clinical and behavioral research.