The Ties that Bind

The Ties that Bind at NLCP

When a group of Banana Republic employees visited North Lawndale College Prep this past spring, they noticed that the young men are required to wear a tie as part of the uniform. Being in the clothing business, this group of dedicated volunteers created an innovative way to help the school. Chris Latter, the District Loss Prevention Manager, and his team launched a companywide tie drive. This effort seemed to resonate with the company's employees, and the ties poured in. A large number of ties came from as far away as Massachusetts and Washington, DC. By August 13, 1000-plus ties were already donated.

Ken High, Class of 2011, thanks Mr. Chris Latter, Banana Republic's District Loss Prevention Manager, for his new tie.

The relationship with NLCP began more than one year ago with guest lecturers from Banana Republic who interacted with students in an Entrepreneurship class covering topics such as job-getting and retention skills and the retail business overall. Through Banana Republic, a special internship program was initiated this past school year with two students who have been offered permanent part-time employment.

A group of students pose for a photo with their new ties and new friends from Banana Republic.

"Our deep and meaningful involvement with Banana Republic is yielding long-term benefits for our students as they enter college and beyond. We are extremely fortunate to have them in our corner," said John Horan, NLCP President. Commenting about the partnership between Banana Republic and NLCP, Mr. Latter said "It's part of the Banana Republic culture to give back. We have a vested interest in our communities." Chris Latter and his team are providing many and varied "ties that bind" to NLCP."

If there are other friends of NLCP that would like to have a relationship with the school like the one with Banana Republic, please contact Michele Henry, Director of Development at mhenry@nlcphs.org or by phone, 773-542-1490 ext.171. We would love to hear from you!