October 22nd is officially recognized as SmileSafe Kids Day in 23 states across the country. The program, which is a partnership between ESCA member Lifetouch School Photography, a 100% employee-owned company, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, is a critical resource that aids law enforcement in the recovery of missing children. The day was created to educate the public about the incredible benefits of the SmileSafe Kids program.
Created 10 years ago, SmileSafe Kids provides a current ID card to students at no extra charge. Each card has a recent portrait of the child along with the phone number for the National Center and unique access codes for portrait retrieval. When the Center receives a call, it contacts the Lifetouch Rapid Response team that in turn forwards a current photograph to law enforcement, 24/7. Since its inception, Lifetouch has issued approximately 300 million SmileSafe Kids photo ID cards nationwide.
The 15,000 Lifetouch employee-owners are proud to support such a worthy and important cause. Corporate Vice President Kelvin Miller noted that the team oriented culture of employee-ownership is not limited to the walls of the company, but is spread throughout the wider community. “Being 100% employee-owned builds a company and a culture that fosters not only teamwork and productivity but also shared responsibility. That sense of being in this together naturally reaches outside of Lifetouch to the families and communities we serve. The SmileSafe Kids program is one outstanding example of such a natural giveback.” This sense of community is one of many aspects that makes employee-owned companies unique.
Stephanie Silverman, President and Executive Director of ESCA, reiterated this sentiment saying: “Lifetouch is one of our many employee-owned companies that is making a difference not only in their employee’s financial future, but their communities.”
The states recognizing Oct. 22, 2013, as SmileSafe Kids Day include: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.