Super Bowl Inspires Women Business Owners to Tackle Homelessness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Orange, NJ – October 9, 2013 – A team of women business owners announced today that they are on a mission to end homelessness. The group, led by Cheryl McCants from Impact Consulting, has launched the Great Football Sunday™ campaign to bring awareness about the real people behind a homeless population that would overflow the seating capacity of MetLife Stadium – location of next year’s Super Bowl. Their game plan is to leverage the media spotlight and attention from Super Bowl XLVIII on the New Jersey/New York City metro area and raise over $1 million via crowdfunding for Community Solutions’ 100,000 Homes Campaign and Family Promise of Bergen County.

MetLife Stadium’s 82,000 seats approximate the number of homeless veterans, men, women and children in New York City and the State of New Jersey[1]. Statistics show that more than one in four homeless are children and more than 10,000 veterans are without homes in the metropolitan area.

“The current state of homelessness is tragic, but not irreparable,” said Cheryl McCants, principal of Impact Consulting Enterprises, a branding and strategic communication firm based in New Jersey. “If we all contributed a little, if we all pitched in just a bit, we could make a huge difference in the lives of others.”

McCants gathered a team of businesswomen to launch this innovative initiative to raise over $1 million by Super Bowl Sunday from both corporate contributions and crowdfunding. The first contributions will underwrite expenses for the marketing campaign with a goal to raise donations of at least $1 million for charities working to end homelessness in the region: Family Promise of Bergen County, NJ and The100,000 Homes Campaign powered by Community Solutions, based in New York City.  The Great Football Sunday campaign is a breakthrough approach to capacity building for nonprofit organizations. It does not depend on corporate grants or gifts, but rather invites companies to partner with the public.

Dubbed the “Great Football Sunday,” the effort will culminate on Super Bowl Sunday 2014 with an unprecedented event. Homeless families, veterans and community supporters will be hosted to a day of entertainment. Most homeless shelters don’t have televisions, so one of the day’s highlights will be a viewing party like no other as guests will enjoy America’s iconic game on the big screen.

The Great Football Sunday campaign is 100% designed, developed and executed by small, local, minority and/or women-owned businesses. Working with Impact Consulting are six other women-owned firms: Focus-USA, Fearless Media, Scarborough & Tweed, MarbleHill Media, Hotathon and The Mixx.

Helping to spread the word is a network of supporters dubbed ‘Friends of Great Football Sunday’ with representation from the business, education and community sectors, including Women Presidents’ Educational Organization, Rutgers University Business School, Essex County College, Savoca Enterprises, Technology Concepts Group, The Little Media Company and NewarkBound magazine as a media sponsor.

For more information visit http://www.greatfootballsunday.com, www.facebook.com/GreatFootballSunday or follow @GFootballSunday on Twitter.  To contribute, visit GFS on RocketHub.

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Great Football Sunday Kicks Off – Release

[learn_more caption=”About Impact Consulting Enterprises”] Impact Consulting Enterprises is a strategic branding and communication firm that works with companies to tell their brand stories in ways that resonate with customers, employees and the community. Founded in 1989, Impact is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau and has the following certifications: U.S. WOSB, U.S. SBA 8(a), WBENC WBE, Port Authority of NY&NJ MWBE, State of New York DBE and State of New Jersey DBE, SBE and MWBE. Cheryl McCants is Impact’s founder and principal. The agency is based in East Orange, New Jersey. Impact has a pending trademark application for “Great Football Sunday.” Contact: info@greatfootballsunday.com or 973-337-2028. Websites: www.eimpactconsulting.com and www.greatfootballsunday.com.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About Family Promise of Bergen County”] Family Promise of Bergen County (FPBC) is the only organization in Bergen County, New Jersey, helping working families overcome the crisis of homelessness and return to self-sufficiency. The FPBC Network provides shelter year-round for families with dependent children through a host network of local churches and synagogues. The New Leaf Transitional Housing program provides subsidized apartments for 12 to 18 months as families make the transition to self-sufficient living. All client families work with a case manager on financial planning, job training, educational options, childcare and a mandatory savings plan. Counseling and other support services are aimed at empowering parents to reach and sustain permanent housing. In addition, FPBC offers a two-week summer camp for children in the shelter programs and runs a year-round Walk-In Dinner Program where volunteers provide, prepare and serve free dinners to approximately 125 needy people each night. Founded in 1986, Family Promise of Bergen County is a 501c3 agency headquartered in Ridgewood, NJ, and is an affiliate of the national Family Promise, a not-for-profit organization. Website: www.bergenfamilypromise.org.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About 100,000 Homes”] The 100,000 Homes Campaign, powered by Community Solutions, is a national movement of more than 200 communities working together to find permanent homes for 100,000 chronic and medically vulnerable homeless Americans by July 2014. The initiative is powered by Community Solutions, a national not-for-profit organization whose mission is to end homelessness by helping communities build efficient systems that target resources to individuals and families quickly and predictably. Communities participating in the 100K Homes campaign are committed to revamping their multiple overlapping service systems into a single, well-oiled housing placement machine capable of moving homeless individuals and families into permanent housing in as little time as possible. By applying process improvement techniques drawn from the private sector to local housing and human service work, several communities have reduced the time required to house a homeless person by as much as 80 percent. Based in New York City, Community Solutions has been recognized with the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation, the World Habitat Award, and the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, among other honors. Websites: www.100khomes.org and www.cmtysolutions.org.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About Focus USA “] Focus USA is a data provider and marketing response agency on a mission to deliver results that drive sales and fuel success for every client. The Focus USA formula is simple but powerful: Knowledge + Data = Response. Focus USA specializes in providing targeted and responsive consumer and business data to marketers for their customer acquisition initiatives, branding and loyalty programs. Proven solutions include direct mail lists, email lists, international lists, modeling & analytics, data enhancement, retargeting and digital media. Focus USA is WBENC/WOSB certified, has been in business for 18 years, and is headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey. Find more information at www.focus-usa-1.com.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About Fearless Media”] Fearless Media is an integrated, strategic digital media agency that combines creativity with real-time data analytics critical for marketers in today’s landscape. Located in Flatiron, the heart of New York City, the Fearless team creates powerful, results-driven media campaigns that engage audiences through every stage of the purchase cycle. Brands benefit from “big ideas” that are based on painstaking brainstorming and attention to every detail. President Cara Scharf founded the agency in 2009 after realizing that success is the only real metric that matters. Fearless Media is a certified WBENC WBE. Find more information at www.fearless-media.com.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About Hotathon”] Hotathon combines a music download store with a platform to promote and raise money for mission driven charities and non-profit organizations. Artists make a song available for a limited-time awareness and fundraising campaign for a charity of their choice. The artist, their fans, the charity and their supporters all work together to get the word out about the campaign. Columbia University MBA, and consumer marketing veteran Mikal Celentano launched Hotathon in 2012 to provide a music-focused crowdfunding platform for independent and new artists and their fans to support causes near to their hearts. Hotathon is the flagship product of woman-owned Entergain Entertainment, LLC, based in Martinsville, New Jersey. Find more information at www.hotathon.com.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About The Mixx”] The Mixx is a full-service marketing and creative agency, providing strategy to both iconic and emerging brands, and delivering value every step of the way. With a potent mix of on-target strategy, exemplary client service and superior creative product, The Mixx creates real connections between brands and their audiences. Big ideas and award-winning creative go beyond building brand loyalty to drive stronger results through brand advocacy. President Robyn Streisand started The Mixx in her apartment, with a smart phone and a desk in 1996. Based in New York City, The Mixx is WBENC & NGLCC certified. Find more information at www.themixxnyc.com.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About MarbleHill Media”] MarbleHill Media (MHM) is a media production and information consultancy. MHM produces video and editorial content for individuals, corporations and nonprofit organizations, as well its own projects. MHM looks for and at projects that are socially relevant, culturally diverse. MHM contributes passion, knowledge and expertise in editorial content, video and television production to help new and established groups tell their stories, pure and simple. Find more information at www.marblehillmedia.com .[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About NewarkBound”] NewarkBound is a travel destination magazine showcasing the City of Newark’s dining, culture, and recreational events and venues. The magazine, which debuted in March 2013, is a publication of DMC Publishing LLC, a sister agency of the award-winning Florham Park marketing firm, Diversity Marketing and Communications. It is available free of charge in all three Port Authority area airports: Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, and Kennedy; in United Airlines’ Club lounges; Northern New Jersey AAA; the Newark Marriott; and other local hotels. Find more information at www.newarkbound.com.[/learn_more]

[learn_more caption=”About Scarborough & Tweed”] Scarborough & Tweed is a leading purveyor of distinctive corporate gifts, logo merchandise and custom promotional products. Scarborough & Tweed also manufactures high quality canvas bags made in the U.S.A. Their famous “Wall Street Bags” can be seen in financial centers the world over. The company is known for elegant designs, top-quality materials, fine craftsmanship and superior customer service. They provide innovative corporate programs with turnkey e-commerce, warehousing, and fulfillment services in the US, UK and Europe. Established in 1992, Scarborough & Tweed is a Certified Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE), recipient of the Outstanding WBE Award from the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization. Find more information at www.scarboroughtweedgifts.com.[/learn_more]