Hallmark Donates Baby Clothes to Families in Need

In the fast-moving retail business, trends and seasons change quickly. For the Hallmark Baby business, that means clearing out excess baby and toddler clothes in order to keep the product assortment fresh for consumers.

In 2017, for the first time, Hallmark Baby made a large donation of infant and toddler clothing to help families with young children through- out the Kansas City metro area. Re-purposing baby clothes in this manner served as a positive alternative to sending clothes to the landfill.

“We think about babies and kids every day in our business,” said Mark Strickland, director of strategy and operations, Hallmark Baby. “We’re fortunate to have found a partner in Community Services League (CSL) who could so effectively distribute the clothes to those who needed them.”

CSL is one of the largest providers of “safety-net services” in Kansas City, Missouri.

“We provide basic services — housing, utilities, food, clothing — through 11 locations in the Kansas City area,” said Doug Cowan, executive director, Community Services League. “We have food and clothing pantries at each location, and families can come through and shop for items they need.”

CSL worked with their own locations and other targeted organizations that help moms, children and families to get the Hallmark Baby clothes into the hands of the people who most needed them.

“Often baby items don’t get donated to organizations because they are handed down within families and get worn out,” explained Cowan. “So to have brand-new baby items available for families to use was absolutely wonderful.”

Download and read more from our full 2017 “Caring In Action” Social Responsibility Report here.