Small Business Celebrates 30 Years of Success with the Community

Nov. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- “When Mayor Jean Quan proclaimed October 31st as ‘International Contact Day’ to honor our 30 years in business, we felt we needed to do something special, to give back.” said Carla Itzkowich, International Contact’s executive director. Soon thereafter, the Oakland based translation experts, settled on a unique way to celebrate: close the street and host a Safe Halloween Street Fair with neighbors, vendors, and clients.

Beatiful photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.486796948021214.114049.195915597109352&type=1

“Our long-term clients want to celebrate with us,” said Itzkowich, “they say they want to make sure we stay in business providing all their language solutions for another 30 years!”

Obtaining prizes from clients like Sprint, SRAM and Benefit Cosmetics of San Francisco, coordinating a special flyer of coupons for local area merchants, and organizing the whole block to help them host over 100 children from Lincoln Elementary’s after school program (run by OASES LEAP, a Project of EBAYC) were just some of the activities that Itzkowich and her staff juggled along with the usual translation of advertising copy, video production jobs, and scheduling of interpreters.

“We wanted to introduce people to our street and celebrate all our small businesses,” said Norma Armon, Creative Director of International Contact “they also got to discover what a beautiful street it is!” It seems to have paid off, the event received recognition from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and from Supervisor Keith Carson whose representative read a commendation from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to kick things off.

The feeling was encapsulated best by their client of eight years, Silvia Sofia San Miguel, who works for the City of Oakland and volunteered at the event. “I had to be here to celebrate their 30th Anniversary. It was very sweet to see all the kids; they were very excited about getting the candy. I was very touched that International Contact not just included their clients, but also the community in their celebration of the business. I had to be here for that!”