Enhancing Family Friendly Spaces

Aug 21, 2019 12:05 PM ET

Two of Hallmark’s suppliers in Dongguan, China — QP and Golden Cup — participate in the Family Friendly Spaces (FFS) program, facilitated by the International Council of Toy Industries Ethical Toy Program. This initiative operates educational summer camp programs for the children of factory employees in a safe space at the factory. It provides a way for families to be together during the summer months, since they are often separated when parents work in large cities and children stay in their home villages to attend school.

In 2018, Hallmark donated greeting cards and Crayola products to nearly 700 children in the 18 factories participating in the FFS program. The children could take the Crayola products home with them, and they used their Crayola markers to decorate greeting cards for their parents as keepsakes at the end of the program.

“For many parents, it was the first greeting card they had ever received,” said Kristin Edie, product integrity and engineering director – Asia-Pacific, Hallmark. “They work hard to produce thousands of Hallmark greeting cards every day, and this one was from their child, expressing gratitude at having been able to spend time together because of this program. It really helped the factory employees connect with the meaning and value of a greeting card.”

Read more in Hallmark’s 2018 Caring in Action Social Responsibility Report.