by Jen ChristiansonMarketing Manager, Saturn Lounge PhotographyQuite honestly, I'm surprised I wasn't fired from the 'Holiday Card Committee' many years ago. I'm referring to the year I affixed all the stamps on the wrong corner of the envelopes. Sigh. Despite that setback, I tackle our company Holiday cards each year with enthusiasm and spirit. Like baking cookies, or wrapping my families presents--it's all a part of the season that I enjoy. Organizing the mailing list (checking it twice), and yes--even affixing the stamps to the carefully selected envelopes is all enjoyable for me. So this year, I was especially enthused when I got to take part in the producing of this years holiday card for Saturn Lounge.Chocolates in the shape of little mittens. That's what started it. Perhaps we'll accomplish some festive shots of a few of the chocolates, with an elegant blue ribbon (I dunno, that's when someone on the committee who has more experience with set styling steps in). I conclude that would make a festive holiday card; paired up with gifting our clients a box of the cute little chocolate mittens. Then I remembered a few years ago when I received a card from a client that had donated to a local charity, in lieu of giving out corporate gifts that year. I remember feeling warm and fuzzy when reading that card. It didn't surprise me that the folks at Saturn Lounge were on board with this concept as well. It was then and there we turned our chocolate mittens into the real deal. Instead of gifting chocolates and possibly being the blame for that extra pound gained over the holidays, we decided to give the gift of warmth to children instead. Right here in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Television runs a charity drive for gently used and new mittens, scarves and hats. I found a wonderful mom and pop knitting company (Newberry Knitting in NY), and they agreed to sell us 300 pairs of mittens at a discounted price. We were able to take our corporate gifting budget and help MPTV achieve their goal of over 1500 items this year! Of course, Scott accomplished a wonderful photo. He shot a beautiful child (my 11 year old daughter, ahem...) wearing a pair of red mittens depicting a heart. The message, 'Warm Hands, Warm Hearts' completed our greeting.MPTV's Mittens and More community service drive totaled 1550 items. The generosity of many enables MPTV to distribute these beautiful items, many hand-made, to children and their families in 33 agencies and schools. Several of the agencies receiving items to distribute to less fortunate families or school children in need are as follows: AGAPE Community Center, Boys & Girls Club, Head Start, Hope House, Children's Service Society of Wisconsin and Urban Day. MPTV considered the drive successful, seeing an increase of 175 items from 2008. However, seeing that the request from these agencies for warm items needed came in at 4000, consider donating to this drive in 2010!I am pleased to see that we are not the only company to consider those in need this Holiday season. Morgan & Myers has made a donation to 'Feeding America Food Banks', Laughlin Constable has donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs, National Business Furniture organized a gift drive benefiting the kids at Head Start, and with every viewing of their Holiday video, Mader Communications is increasing their donation to United Way (visit http://ow.ly/N4h5). This year, it seems as if giving back to our community is the right thing to do. I'm proud to be a part of it.
