Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation

Ocean State Job Lot Wraps Up Holiday Giving Programs, Delivering Coats, Toys, and Meals with Customers’ Help

Buy-Give-Get coats and toys programs, and Three Square Meals drive provide support for veterans, children, and families

North Kingstown, RI – (January 12, 2026) – Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL) today announced the success of its 2025 holiday charitable programs, made possible through the generosity of its customers. Through its Buy-Give-Get coats program, Buy-Give-Get toys program, and Three Square Meals donation drive, OSJL and its customers delivered critical resources to underserved veterans, children, and families across the communities it serves.

Together with its customers, OSJL:

  • Donated 78,000 winter coats to homeless veterans and veterans in need.
  • Donated 275,000 toys to bring joy to children and families during the holiday season.
  • Raised funds equivalent to more than three million meals to help address food insecurity.

“These programs are a powerful example of what we can accomplish when our customers join us in giving back,” said David Sarlitto, Vice President of Corporate Giving, Ocean State Job Lot. “Their generosity allows us to support some of the most vulnerable among us in meaningful ways, especially during the holiday season.”

Through its annual Buy-Give-Get Coats program, OSJL partnered with veteran service organizations to provide 78,000 warm winter coats to veterans in need across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. During the program, customers were invited to “buy” a winter coat at a discounted price, “give” it back to their local store for distribution through trusted local and regional partners, and “get” 100% back in the form of a Crazy Deal® Gift Card. OSJL’s second annual Buy-Give-Get Toys program encouraged customers to “buy” toys at a special price, “give” them back to their local store, and “get” a Crazy Deal® Gift Card in return. With the support of nonprofit and community partners, 275,000 donated toys were distributed to children and families across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic during the holiday season.

OSJL’s Three Square Meals donation drive gave customers the opportunity to give back at checkout, helping raise funds equivalent to more than three million meals. These meals will support hunger-relief organizations serving individuals and families across OSJL’s footprint throughout the year.

In addition to these programs, Ocean State Job Lot and its Charitable Foundation supported a range of charitable initiatives throughout 2025 focused on food insecurity, military family support, and global humanitarian relief.

These efforts included the launch of the Feed for Free program, which enables customers to donate food to local pantries at no cost; a temporary 20% discount on all food items in Rhode Island stores to help families impacted by disruptions to federal SNAP benefits; and a large-scale food donation in partnership with the United Cajun Navy, delivering more than 91,000 pounds of organic pasta to active-duty military personnel and their families at U.S. bases in Texas and Louisiana.

OSJL customers also supported global humanitarian relief efforts through a customer-driven fundraiser in partnership with Edesia Nutrition, helping provide lifesaving Plumpy’Nut to children facing severe malnutrition in South Sudan. Through this initiative, customers helped fund the shipment of 285,000 pounds of Plumpy’Nut, enough to provide more than 1.2 million meals and support treatment for over 9,000 children in crisis, extending OSJL’s impact far beyond the communities it serves locally.

Together, these initiatives represent just a sampling of the many programs and partnerships OSJL supports throughout the year to help people in need. The OSJL Charitable Foundation works year-round to facilitate product donations, financial assistance, and logistics support for organizations addressing hunger, disaster relief, housing insecurity, and community needs.

About Ocean State Job Lot:

Founded in 1977, Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL) is a growing, privately held discount retail chain with 174 stores in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, nearly 7,000 employees, and annual sales exceeding $900 million. OSJL shoppers find an ever-changing array of brand-name, first-quality merchandise at closeout prices, including household goods, apparel, pet supplies, seasonal products (holiday, gardening, patio, pool and beach supplies), and kitchen pantry staples at a fraction of their typical price.

The company was named a five-time “Best Employer” by Forbes® Magazine*, a five-time U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte, one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families 2024 by Newsweek, a five-time winner of the Inspiring Workplaces in North America Award, and three-time Global Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces winner. Ocean State Job Lot is not affiliated with Forbes®.

The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation has a long history of philanthropic leadership, supporting numerous causes, including feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, assisting veterans and military families, aiding animal rescue, caring for children, advancing healthcare, supporting the arts, and promoting learning. The Foundation’s operational, administrative and overhead expenses are covered by Ocean State Job Lot, not the Foundation, ensuring that 100% of every dollar raised through the Foundation goes directly to helping those in need.

Ocean State Job Lot is headquartered in Quonset Point Business Park at 375 Commerce Park Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852. Phone: 401-295-2672. Website: www.oceanstatejoblot.com.

The organization will transport pasta from Illinois to Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Polk, Louisiana, as well as other U.S. military base locations, where local partners will distribute it to military families experiencing food insecurity. The organic pasta, which includes shells, elbows, and linguine, was donated by one of OSJL’s food distribution vendors in Illinois. Upon learning of the available inventory, OSJL mobilized its extensive logistics network and reached out to the United Cajun Navy to ensure the product reaches communities where it’s needed most.

“Ocean State Job Lot is proud to connect partners across the country to ensure that no one in need goes hungry,” said David Sarlitto, Vice President of Corporate Giving, Ocean State Job Lot. “From Rhode Island to Illinois, Texas, and Louisiana, this effort demonstrates the power of collaboration and the strength of our mission to help people wherever they are.”

“What does a closeout retailer based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, have to do with feeding military families in Texas and Louisiana?” said Alan Perlman, Owner and Co-Founder, Ocean State Job Lot. “Everything. We have the relationships, resources, and transportation infrastructure to get critical products where they need to go, quickly and efficiently.”

The OSJL Charitable Foundation works year-round to facilitate product donations, financial aid, and logistics support for organizations addressing hunger, disaster relief, homelessness, and community needs. Each year, OSJL provides the equivalent of millions of meals across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic through partnerships with food banks, shelters, and military support organizations.

“The unwavering support of Ocean State Job Lot has been vital to the United Cajun Navy’s mission for years, allowing us to respond effectively during people’s most desperate moments,” said Todd Terrell, Founder and President of the United Cajun Navy. This latest effort to deliver critical food supplies is another powerful example of what we can achieve when we join forces to make a positive impact in our communities.”

About Ocean State Job Lot:

Founded in 1977, Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL) is a growing, privately held discount retail chain with 176 stores in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, nearly 7,000 employees, and annual sales exceeding $850 million. OSJL shoppers find an ever-changing array of brand-name, first-quality merchandise at closeout prices, including household goods, apparel, pet supplies, seasonal products (holiday, gardening, patio, pool and beach supplies), and kitchen pantry staples at a fraction of their typical price.

The company was named a five-time “Best Employer” by Forbes® Magazine*, a five-time U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte, one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families 2024 by Newsweek, a five-time winner of the Inspiring Workplaces in North America Award, and three-time Global Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces winner. Ocean State Job Lot is not affiliated with Forbes®.

The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation has a long history of philanthropic leadership, supporting numerous causes, including feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, assisting veterans and military families, aiding animal rescue, caring for children, advancing healthcare, supporting the arts, and promoting learning. The Foundation’s operational, administrative and overhead expenses are covered by Ocean State Job Lot, not the Foundation, ensuring that 100% of every dollar raised through the Foundation goes directly to helping those in need.

Ocean State Job Lot is headquartered in Quonset Point Business Park at 375 Commerce Park Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852. Phone: 401-295-2672. Website: www.oceanstatejoblot.com.

About the United Cajun Navy:

The United Cajun Navy is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization focused on providing disaster relief and support during emergencies. They conduct search and rescue operations, deliver supplies, and aid in recovery efforts to assist communities during difficult times. For more information, please visit: United Cajun Navy.