CONNECT, CREATE AND COMMUNICATE: KIMBERLY-CLARK TEAMS WITH BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS TO ENCOURAGE FAMILY DIALOGUE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Program offers tips to strengthen family bonds

DALLAS, December 11, 2007 – They say you can never really go home for the holidays, but what about going into your heritage this holiday season? Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Kimberly-Clark are inviting families across the country to Connect, Create and Communicate.

Connect, Create and Communicate combines tips to strengthen family bonds during the yuletide season, while providing questions developed for younger and older generations to foster conversations resulting in a deeper knowledge and better understanding of one another. Questions range from “What was your earliest childhood memory?” to “If you could start new family tradition, what would it be?”

“We know that children who have meaningful relationship with family members are more likely to succeed in life,” said Jose Cruz, director, family support, for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “According to a survey developed by Harris Interactive in 2007, 71 percent of grandmothers agree that their relationships with their children or grandchildren would grow if they shared in each other’s lives by staying in touch more often. Connect, Create and Communicate is our way of fostering family relationships during this critical time of year.”

Connect, Create and Communicate can be encouraged this season in a variety of ways. BGCA and Kimberly-Clark recommend the following:

1. During dinner, each family member takes a turn asking or answering a question written on a name tent or individualized menu, or passes a bowl of written questions.

2. Teens use a video recorder, camera or tape recorder to interview different family members about important events in their lives to create a holiday memory reel to share throughout 2008 or give as a gift.

3. Distant family members send postcards, write letters and/or send e-mails on a regular basis.

4. Families sift through old photographs together, telling stories of the people in the pictures. Children and teens put these together in a family storybook as a gift.

5. Family members of all ages cook a holiday meal together, talking about favorite holiday traditions, recipes and foods and why they are all important to them.

For several years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation have partnered in efforts of supporting and strengthening families, demonstrated in the partners Family PLUS program. Connect, Create and Communicate is an extension of the Family PLUS program designed to help the younger and older generations engage in conversation, creating a more meaningful holiday experience.

“Kimberly-Clark is committed to strengthening families through nurturing and developing communication opportunities and through the Family PLUS program,” said Carolyn Mentesana, vice president of the Kimberly-Clark Foundation. “The holiday season gives us a unique opportunity when families are already coming together to catch up on each others lives and strengthen these fundamental relationships.”

Full information on the Connect, Create and Communicate program can be found at familyplus.bgca.org.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities, with 4.8 million youth served through Club membership and community outreach, in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide. Known as “The Positive Place for Kids,” the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation, and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 135-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.


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