Hallmark employees donated 29 tons of food and household items to a Kansas City food bank in 2008.

At Hallmark, we all share in good corporate citizenship. Volunteerism is an important value for Hallmark employees, who are encouraged to contribute time and talent to community causes.

We're rewarded for it, too, through a Volunteer Involvement Pays (VIP) program available to employees who contribute at least 25 volunteer hours over a six-month period to a qualifying nonprofit organization. A $200 grant is made to the organization for which the employee has provided volunteer service. Over nearly two decades, the VIP program has contributed more than $3.5 million in such grants in the name of Hallmark volunteers.

A staffed volunteer office and dedicated community center at our headquarters help link agency needs with employee interests, and facilitate company-wide volunteer activities like United Way Day of Caring, clean-up at community zoos, and Christmas in October home repair for elderly or low-income households.

For example, on Saturday, May 9, 2009, Hallmark employees volunteered at the Kansas City Zoo to tackle landscaping, painting and other projects:

In addition, some 200 Hallmark employees share their talents by serving on the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations. To help employees be as effective as possible in these positions, the company sponsors training on such issues as board governance, operations, strategic planning, organizational change, and the basics of fundraising.

A few more facts about employee volunteer involvement at Hallmark:

Hallmark artists decorated pumpkins to raise funds for a child abuse prevention center.

• Nearly three quarters of Hallmark senior managers participated in some type of volunteer activity.
• 30 percent of Kansas City employees participated in volunteer activities in 2008, compared to 27 percent nationwide.
• A quarter of Hallmark employees participated in at least one of more than a dozen corporate-sponsored volunteer events.
• Nearly 38,000 hours of volunteer service to 340 nonprofits were recorded on our official volunteer intranet site.
• More than 29 tons of food and household items were donated by employees to Harvesters, a Kansas City area food bank.

Employees participate in "Christmas in October," a program to help families in need repair their homes.

Each year Hallmark employees decorate a Kansas City children's hospital for the holidays.

Hallmark volunteers staff auction phone lines to assist in fundraising for community causes.