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Pressure Points
Second Conference to Keep Kids Safe Will Focus on Stress
Can you guess what the biggest issue is facing teens and families today? It’s stress. Academic, social pressures and more are mounting, seemingly on a daily basis. Family time constraints, the quest for success, getting into college, the pressure to be sexually active – all are major concerns of teens. Adults and kids report they find it impossible to manage the stress; for the first time, they are as concerned about this issue as they are about drugs. Yet, at the same time, they say it’s difficult to step back from creating or contributing to those very same stresses.
The impact of today’s many pressures on kids and families will be the focus of discussion at the most important forum ever held on this subject in Fairfield County. The second Conference to Keep Kids Safe, focusing on the teen stress epidemic, will be held in October 2006. During the day-long event, more than 100 teens from area public and private, urban and suburban schools will gather to identify and discuss the pressures they face. With the help of business and community leaders, teams of students will develop solutions to minimize stress and, more importantly, devise practical, viable programs to tell those they love – parents, teachers, and friends – what they need to know about addressing today’s stress levels. The end results will be seen throughout area communities in the months to come. A public service program, a county-wide speaker series, a special publication, a broadcast program that brings together adults and kids; any of these may very well be the end result to the day’s hard work.
Companies with strong corporate citizenship initiatives are taking a leadership position in participating in social and environmental issues that impact their businesses. The Conference to Keep Kids Safe is a definitive way companies can understand the concerns of their employees and their families, while taking part in the solution.
If you are interested in learning more about the conference, participation, sponsorship levels and other opportunities in the upcoming Conference, please contact Alon Marom at Kids in Crisis at 203-327-KIDS (5437).
Partnerships That Pay Off
In the 2005 PR Week/Barkley Evergreen & Partners Cause Survey, “a resounding majority of respondents (79%) say that corporate-nonprofit partnerships are simply a critical part of good corporate citizenship in today’s competitive landscape.” How does it pay off? More than three quarters (76%) of the corporate and nonprofit executives surveyed say consumers are more likely to buy products from a company that engages in cause branding programs; 57% say companies that take part in cause branding programs have an easier time recruiting a first rate workforce. Clearly, doing business today means doing more.
Kids in Crisis knows firsthand the power of cause related marketing. The Agency recently embarked on a number of cause-related marketing programs, including one conducted in conjunction with Saks Fifth Avenue/Greenwich. The “Helping Kids Find Peace at Home” initiative raised approximately $40,000 to support the programs and services of Kids in Crisis. At the invitation-only kick off event, attended by more than 200 area consumers and business leaders, Saks netted more than $25,000 in retail sales in just two hours. Kids in Crisis received the proceeds of a specially designed bracelet sold at Saks, as well as a percentage from the evening’s retail sales.
As with all cause related programs Kids in Crisis participates in, this program was carefully crafted and followed the Key Principles of Cause Related Marketing, as cited by the UK-based firm, Business in the Community: integrity, transparency, sincerity, partnership and mutual benefit. Saks and Kids in Crisis were successful in creating a special program that heightened community awareness and involvement, in addition to driving store sales. “Kids in Crisis is quickly earning a reputation as a nonprofit organization that creatively partners with the corporate community to help those in need throughout our communities while meeting specific business objectives,” said Shari L. Shapiro, Executive Director of Kids in Crisis.
Cause-related marketing programs are a way many companies today are supporting local, national and global nonprofits. Most recently, American Express announced plans to team with musician and activist Bono to raise funds to fight the battle against HIV and AIDS in Africa. The team’s new brand, Red, will sell products from major fashion designers and retailers, including Converse, The Gap and Giorgio Armani, as well as select items produced in Africa. A portion of the revenue will be donated to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. American Express will also create a new “Red” credit card, to be introduced initially in Great Britain; one percent of all purchases made with the card will also be donated. “Companies of all sizes are exploring unique ways to meet the challenge of social responsibility while also meeting the desires of their customers,” said Shapiro. “And nonprofits of all sizes must be ready to meet the challenge with effective, fresh ideas.”
The Gift of Time
Corporate support for nonprofits doesn’t always involve dollars. In fact, according to the Points of Light Foundation, 52% of all companies “stress a commitment to community service in their corporate mission statement to build a cooperative corporate culture.” Yes, financial support is always appreciated but so, too, is the gift of time.
For Kids in Crisis, a perfect case in point is Stamford-based Gen Re. For eight years, Gen Re management and staff have banded together several times a year to provide groups of volunteers on a variety of projects. Each December, Gen Re has marshaled 20-30 employees to package and wrap gifts for families in need as part of the Kids in Crisis Holiday Central program. Throughout the year, Gen Re staffers also provide one-on-one time with children staying temporarily at the Kids in Crisis shelters, treating them to dinner out or a fun activity, such as bowling or a visit to a local arcade for fun and games. “Volunteers like those at Gen Re are the backbone of an organization such as ours,” notes Jamie Dorman, Manager of Community Services. “I know that in addition to the projects they initiate, I can call them as different things are needed throughout the year and they will step right in to help out.” For example, cites Dorman, Gen Re time has been dedicated to maintenance projects at each house, including painting or helping out in the garden. If your company is interested in creating group volunteer activities that work with schedule and staff interests, please contact Jamie at jdorman@kidsincrisis.org.
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