Salt Lake City — Downeast announced this week that the company was adopting the Malouf Foundation as their primary charity partner. Kacie and Sam Malouf, new owners of Downeast as of June 2020, built a nationally recognized charitable organization dedicated to confronting child sexual exploitation, specifically sex trafficking and online abuse.

Formalized in 2016 and based in Logan, Utah, the Malouf Foundation is a registered nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. The Foundation fulfills its mission to confront exploitation and trafficking by providing education to the public through the free online OnWatch™ training program, promoting healing for children who have been abused through Rooms Restored™ and the Utah Trafficking Aftercare Center, and ensuring justice for survivors through children’s advocacy centers.

Kacie Malouf, Downeast owner and Malouf Foundation chair, noted the effect this partnership will have on the Foundation. “Downeast has incredible name recognition in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and Nevada. Their support means so many of our friends and neighbors will now know about the Foundation and our cause.”

Downeast has always supported a cause, most recently CHOICE Humanitarian, with a focus on the health and betterment of women and children in developing countries. Rich Israelsen, CEO of Downeast, said of the switch, “The Malouf Foundation was a natural choice as our next charity partner. The work they do to combat the trafficking of women and children domestically is so important, and we’re able to be involved right on the front lines.”

Starting this February, Downeast will promote the Malouf Foundation in stores. A new jewelry line implemented by Kacie Malouf will donate one dollar of each purchase to the Utah Trafficking Aftercare Center. To learn more about the Malouf Foundation, visit malouffoundation.org. to learn more about the partnership, visit downeasthome.com/impact.

About Malouf Foundation

Formalized in 2016 and operating out of Logan, Utah, the Malouf Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to confronting child sexual exploitation, specifically sex trafficking and online abuse. The Foundation fulfills its mission by providing education through OnWatch™, promoting healing through Rooms Restored™ and the Utah Trafficking Aftercare Center, and ensuring justice for survivors through children’s advocacy centers. With the support of Malouf™ and its charity network, the Malouf Foundation gives 100 percent of its resources to the people it serves. For more information or to make a donation, visit malouffoundation.org.

About Downeast

As a leader in the consumer furniture and fashion apparel industry, Downeast has become synonymous with providing quality clothing and furniture at affordable pricing. Now in its 30th year of business, Downeast was founded in 1991 by three brothers: Charlie, Bill and Jonathan Freedman. The brothers began selling off-price clothing and furniture throughout the Wasatch Front in Utah. Gradually, they evolved into designing an in-house clothing line, which includes layering basic tees and essentials, monthly fashion collections and accessories all under the Downeast label in 2004. The company then added its own furniture collection in 2016, which includes sofas, dining tables, accent chairs, occasional tables, bedroom sets and home accessories. Downeast has grown into more than 40 retail locations in Utah, Arizona, Idaho and Nevada and became a Certified B Corporation® in 2021. For more information, visit downeastbasics.com or downeasthome.com.