Giving | Genesco

Genesco's Annual Community Outreach Cold Feet, Warm Shoes

For more than 35 years, Genesco volunteers have engaged in our annual signature community outreach program, Cold Feet, Warm Shoes. Together we have provided more than 100,000 pairs of shoes to communities in need. Each year, we set up a temporary shoe store in the gym of a local school in Middle Tennessee, where Genesco volunteers personally measure and actively fit students with a pair of new shoes and warm pair of socks. Cold Feet, Warm Shoes gives children the power and dignity of choice—the same respect and service they would receive at any of Genesco’s 1,230+ retail stores—along with the comfort of properly fitting, warm footwear. On average, Genesco fits nearly 800 students with new shoes annually and ranks as one of our most sought-after volunteer opportunities and employee engagement activities in the Company.

Make a Difference Charity Golf Tournament Benefitting United Way

Since 2003, Genesco's annual "Make a Difference" Charity Golf Tournament has raised nearly $7 million for the United Way of Greater Nashville. The event is powered by our employees' volunteer efforts and 100% underwritten by Genesco. All proceeds benefit the United Way of Greater Nashville and the Middle Tennessee community.

United Way of Greater Nashville

Genesco is a proud founding member of the United Way of Greater Nashville. For more than 100 years, our employees and the Company have been making a difference in the lives of thousands of Middle Tennesseans through community engagement events including the "Make a Difference" Charity Golf Tournament, as well as leadership, volunteerism, and community outreach.

The Jim Gulmi Genesco Employee Scholarship Fund

Since 2000, we have awarded nearly 300 scholarships to full- and part-time Genesco employees and their children through the Jim Gulmi Genesco Scholarship Fund. The scholarship can be used to cover costs associated with an accredited four-year college or university. To learn more about this opportunity and access the application forms for domestic and international employees, click here.

Genesco Employee Emergency Fund

The Genesco Employee Emergency Fund was established in 2010 following the devastating 1,000-year flood in Nashville, Tennessee. The fund supports employees or eligible dependents who are experiencing economic hardship caused by unexpected and unavoidable circumstances. This includes employees who are unable to afford housing, utilities, and other basic living expenses. To learn more, click here.

Genesco Community Relations Program

Our Community Relations program supports non-profit organizations and initiatives that strive to improve the overall quality of life in communities where our employees work and live. The program seeks to align limited charitable resources with employees’ volunteer activities and leadership, as well as areas of corporate interest. Beyond financial giving, the Company empowers employees to volunteer and make an impact in their communities through a variety of supportive initiatives, including:

Genesco’s Community Service Policy, which provides full-time employees 10 hours per year of paid time off to perform community service.