Knoxville, TN (Grassroots Newswire) 9/20/2007 – Goody’s Family Clothing, a retailer of moderately priced apparel headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., is launching Good Deeds for Schools, a grant program designed to help local schools pay for the things they really need but can’t afford through regular education funding.

Through the newly created program, Goody’s will award half a million dollars in grants to K-12 schools in Goody’s communities.  Classrooms and schools will have the opportunity to apply for one of 50 $10,000 grants for projects integral to enhancing students’ educational experience that the school would not otherwise be able to afford -- such as art enrichment programs, updated textbooks, or team sports funding.

“Knowing that schools are consistently under-funded, Goody’s store managers expressed an interest in creating a campaign to help their neighborhood schools, and thus Good Deeds for Schools was born,” said Mary Beth Fox, Goody’s Vice President, Marketing, Strategy, and Planning.  “We’re proud to support our local students and teachers through this program, which we believe will fit in nicely with our company’s long-standing mission to help children and families.”

The Goody’s Good Deeds for Schools program will be funded in part by proceeds from the sale of Ashley Judd’s new clothing line debuting on Saturday, September 22nd and available exclusively at Goody’s. The foundation of the fall Ashley Judd Collection is classic and modern denim that comes in varying inseam lengths and features Ashley Judd’s signature stitching on the back pockets with floral detailing on the inside waistband.  The line also encompasses organic and knit tees, as well as career casual coordinates ranging from jackets, blouses and sweaters to trousers.  All are stylish options for women looking for comfortable, livable fashion that also shows their feminine side through luxurious fabrics and attention to detail

"It was very important to me that this line of clothing -- while providing simple, lovely wardrobe solutions for women -- would also contribute to a greater good," said Ashley Judd.  "Children are our future, and a good educational experience is their birthright; fostering that notion is at the heart of this program.”