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Activity around home improvement projects heats up along with the temperatures this time of year.

According to the American Express Spending and Saving Tracker’s 2012 Home Decision Report, almost 70% of American homeowners are planning this year to improve their indoor and outdoor surroundings, and will spend an average of $3,500 – up $100 from 2011.

Anyone who’s shopped at their local supermarket over the past several months has discovered that food prices have been skyrocketing. According to a March 2012 report in Forbes Magazine, while overall U.S. food prices rose about 5 percent last year,earlier that year, food inflation was the highest recorded in 36 years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sees food prices rising 2.5 - 3.5 percent this year, but many economists and industry-watchers believe prices could go even higher.

For example, food industry giant Kraft Foods raised prices 7.6 percent worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2011, and since March, produce prices have risen 50 percent. CNBC reported in 2011 that “surging food costs are causing consumers to get gored at the grocery store."

May 22, 2012 – ELGIN, Ill. – National Gift Card Corporation (NGC) announced today the appointment of two new directors to its executive team.

Samantha Goldstein has been promoted to director of marketing. Goldstein, previously marketing coordinator, will be responsible for working with NGC’s retail partners to help build their brands. Additionally, she will be responsible for maintaining the brand integrity of NGC, as well as all corporate marketing and communications efforts. Goldstein is a graduate of Indiana University, where she earned a BA in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and Marketing.

Samantha Goldstein has been promoted to director of marketing. Goldstein, previously marketing coordinator, will be responsible for working with NGC’s retail partners to help build their brands. Additionally, she will beresponsible for maintaining the brand integrity of NGC, as well as all corporate marketing and communications efforts. Goldstein is a graduate of Indiana University, where she earned a BA in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and Marketing. Ashley Zielinsky has been promoted to director of strategic partnerships. In this new position, Zielinsky will be responsible for creating strategic development plans for NGC’s exclusive brands, and identifying key growthinitiatives for the company’s retail partner network. She was formerly NGC’s strategic partnerships manager, and a former director of marketing at Lime Light Marketing. Zielinsky is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, where she earned a bachelors degree in Business Administration.

May 15, 2012 – ELGIN, Ill. – A sale in observance of Earth Day, April 22, and Arbor Day, April 27 by National Gift Card Corporation (NGC) on all of its NGCecodes orders has resulted in an $800 contribution to the Arbor Day Foundation .

One percent of the proceeds from all NGCecodes orders from NGC’s Earth Day and Arbor Day sale is being donated to the foundation, known as one of the world’s largest tree planting organizations. In addition, NGC officials decided to increase the donation amount over and above contributions raised through the sale.