Connecting Employees to Their Communities

Meet Rita Figueroa. Rita is a retired professional boxer from Chicago, and is currently a service manager in AT&T customer relations. But what makes Rita so extraordinary is the more than 500 hours she spent last year volunteering her time to coach at-risk youth.

Rita’s contributions include helping young men and women find their way off the streets and back on track to a better life through boxing. She goes to the gym multiple times a week — from early in the morning to late into the night and on weekends — “encouraging and inspiring” her students to get their cardio, sparring, pad- and bag-work done right.

Rita also teaches a women-only class focused on selfdefense. “I think any time women feel empowered and strong, they’re better able to do anything,” Rita said.

In the U.S. and across the globe, dedicated AT&T employees like Rita volunteered more than 5.4 million hours of their time to important causes in 2016. We are grateful for their contribution and are proud to support their efforts.

This sustainability perspective originally appeared in the 2016 edition of the AT&T Annual Sustainability Update. Read more about our efforts here.