Giving back builds team morale, helps the community and creates a positive impact. Promo Marketing spoke to Steve Salzman, brand director of Kids To Go Box, Woodland Hills, Calif., to learn about how the company started and how it gives back.
Promo Marketing: Can you tell me about Kids To Go Box and how it began?
Steve Saltzman: Have you ever had to take your child or grandchild to the hospital? It can be extremely scary for any child and we wanted to help. The Kids To Go Box kit programs began with KidsToGoBox.org to help ease a child’s stress and anxiety when transitioning to the hospital for chemotherapy, surgery or treatments for chronic conditions. Each kit includes a Kids To Go Box with a printed “Going to the Hospital” theme—a crayon set and printed brand logo of any hospital, pediatric care facility, foundation or charity on each box. Additionally, we proudly include Americans with disabilities and veteran workshops to assemble, pack and ship each kit.
These kid-friendly kits let children take their own belongings with them to the hospital; help distract [them from] treatment processes with hours of coloring, games and activities; and allow children to personalize their experience, creating a sense of security and involvement.
PM: How did the Give Back program start?
SS: Each day, hospitals and pediatric care facilities reach out to us and request Kids To Go Box “Going to the Hospital” kits. Unfortunately, many facilities cannot afford them. That’s where we came in and created our Give Back program—a program for any business, group or individual to help provide Kids To Go Box kits to hospitals and pediatric care facilities throughout the U.S. After nearly four years of helping children through the Kids To Go Box “Going to the Hospital” kit program, many realtors and moving companies reached out to us and expressed their interest in helping children when transitioning from one home to another with a Kids To Go Box “Moving to a New Home” kit.
PM: How has Kids To Go Box evolved?
SS: To help many more kids and recognize these awesome realtors and moving companies, additional funding was forwarded to us by a philanthropist group and a few supportive individuals. This funding allowed us to launch www.kidstogobox.com, a program that helps children transition from one home to another with their own printed Kids To Go Box with a “Moving to a New Home” theme and crayon set, and includes personalized branding on each box. Additionally, this funding provided us graphic designers to create artwork and virtual mock-ups at no charge, and allowed us to lower our pricing and minimums so no child is left behind.
A few years ago, we introduced the two “themed” Kids To Go Box kits to promotional products distributors and realized this amazing industry can provide custom-printed Kids To Go Boxes to thousands of targeted markets to help promote a child’s experience, activity or event.
PM: What part do promotional products play in your charitable work?
SS: In June 2016, we added “promotional” to www.kidstogobox.com, an exclusive promotional products distributor” program that includes custom printed Kids To Go Boxes in any print color. [There are] two box sizes to choose from (original and Jr.), pricing [is] as low as $1.40 per box, and proceeds go back to our “Going to the Hospital” and “Moving to a New Home” programs.
For inquiries and interest in the Kids To Go Box, please contact Steve Salzman at [email protected].
