The Joys of Fall

Fall is one of my favorite seasons and not just because it means the end of summer heat and the welcome of crisp autumn mornings. Every fall, AT&T employees participate in our annual Employee Giving Campaign. And every fall I am reminded of the generosity of the more than 130,000 employees who give back to their community through our campaign. This year was no different – over the last two months we have collected pledges from 131,207 employees, totaling more than $36 million!

If you visited our headquarters in September, you would have seen hundreds of employees eating cotton candy and playing games as we kicked off our campaign at the annual kick-off carnival.

At the carnival, employees had the opportunity to support numerous nonprofits and learn more about the work they do to improve their local communities. From providing disaster relief and temporary housing, to helping the homeless get back on their feet or serving a meal to someone in need, these organizations represent just a fraction of the thousands of charities our AT&T employees donate to each year.

AT&T knows that making a donation is a personal decision, and this year we focused on encouraging employees to pick any registered 501(c)3 that resonated with them – and employees from across the country responded.

Stephanie Ebel Boyce in Portland wanted to join her mom in her courageous fight against breast cancer with more than just trips to the doctor and hands-on support. She felt the “Employee Giving Campaign gave me this ability.” Ben Fox in Boston saw too many people in his local community go to bed hungry and he wanted to “have a positive impact on preventing people in the surrounding area” from that hardship. And when Charles Anderson in Dallas learned a close friend’s son was diagnosed with cancer, he decided to support an organization that sends families to events to enjoy time away from the hospital.

Fall is a truly amazing time, but we know our employees work throughout the year to improve the communities where they live and work. The annual Employee Giving Campaign is just one way to showcase how much we care. I would like to thank Stephanie, Ben, Charles and the thousands of other employees who gave this year during the campaign. Your generosity is inspiring!