Ardene partners with ME to WE to support WE Well-being

The new program empowers young people to promote their own well-being and mental health

MONTREAL, Sept. 19, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadian retailer Ardene and ME to WE, an award-winning social enterprise, have launched a national campaign to support WE Well-being ? a program led by WE that aims to build awareness and provide everyday actions to support lifelong social, emotional, physical, and mental well-being of young people across North America. From September 19 until World Mental Health Day on October 10, Ardene will donate $1 to WE Well-being for every post made during that time using the hashtag #ardenegetsreal. Simultaneously, Ardene stores will collect $1 donations at checkout. One hundred percent of proceeds raised during the campaign will go to support WE Well-being.

Through the campaign, entitled Self Care IRL (an acronym for "in real life," a reference to life offline), Ardene and ME to WE aim to start a self-care movement that encourages followers to share how they "self-care" on social media. Followers who step up to the challenge will be automatically entered to win tickets to WE Day Vancouver, taking place Tuesday, October 19, 2019 at Rogers Arena. WE Day is a celebration of social good that takes place in 15 cities across North America, the U.K. and the Caribbean.

News of the partnership was announced today at WE Day Toronto by campaign ambassador and American actress, Jenna Ortega. "You need self-care in order to step back, take a much-needed breath and get ready to get back into the daily routine." Ortega commented on the campaign. "I think everybody needs a break. I do not think there's a better time to encourage people to appreciate and respect themselves."

"Self-care and mental well-being are important issues for young people today." stated Ardene COO Mark Dervishian. "As a brand, and through our partnership with WE, we are in the perfect position to spread the word and provide customers with educational tools and resources to promote their well-being." Ardene ? whose primary customers include Generation Z girls aged 14-24 ? stands behind empowerment and positivity not only through its campaigns, but also through its entire organization.

Ardene is one of the first Canadian retailers to launch an internal mindfulness program for its employees, emphasizing that well-being is a central competency for everyone. The retailer offers volunteer hours for its entire workforce, and a voluntary donation-matching program that supports WE Charity.

"We are honoured to partner with Ardene to bring this vital program to young people," said Roxanne Joyal, CEO, ME to WE. "We know that 70 per cent of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence, and together with Ardene we will empower young people with the tools and resources to nurture and promote not only their own well-being but that of their community."

Ardene and WE forged a partnership in 2018, and together have promoted several ME to WE products, whose proceeds support the work of WE Charity, empowering domestic and international change. In 2019, Ardene relaunched its Basic Collection in partnership with ME to WE, directing proceeds to WE Well-being and helping customers to do good while they shop. Customers can even see where their contribution is going through ME to WE's Track Your Impact program.

To date, through the Ardene and ME to WE partnership, more than 46,500 global impacts have been made in Kenya through WE Charity. These impacts include providing access to education, clean water and healthcare, providing children and families with healthy meals and providing women with access to financial tools, empowering them to generate income and accrue savings for their families.

To find out more about the Self Care IRL campaign and how to participate, follow @ardene and @MEtoWE on Instagram.

About Ardene

Ardene is the ultimate value fashion destination in North America and beyond. With 350+ stores in Canada, an expanding international presence, and a growing ecommerce business at ardene.com, the company is inspired by the ever-changing world of its customers. Ardene believes that fashion shouldn't be exclusive or intimidating ? it should be real, and it should be celebrated with youthful confidence and fearless enthusiasm. The company's mission is to connect with customers by offering unique and inspiring fashion experiences at the best price.

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About ME to WE

ME to WE is part of WE - a family of organizations making doing good, doable. WE is made up of WE Charity, empowering domestic and international change, ME to WE, a social enterprise that creates socially conscious products and experiences to help support the charity, and WE Day, filling stadiums around the world with the greatest celebration of social good.

WE Charity was founded by New York Times Bestselling authors Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, in 1995, with a mission to fight child labor. WE has since grown and evolved to address the root cause of child labor - extreme poverty. In the past 24 years, WE's programs have empowered over 1 million people with clean water, built 1,500 schools and schoolrooms overseas, and empowered more than 200,000 children with access to education.

WE enables youth and families to better the world?supporting 7,200+ local and global causes by volunteering millions of hours of service, shopping daily with an impact, and raising millions of dollars that directly benefit their local communities and the world.

WE's headquarters is based in downtown Toronto at the WE Global Learning Centre, a service and social innovation accelerator for young people, leading them to become the next generation of leaders and towards a brighter future.

Join the movement today at WE.org (www.we.org).

SOURCE Ardene