DALLAS, November 10, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Teachers at school districts serving military-connected communities woke up this morning to great news: AT&T* flash-funded projects they listed on crowd-funding site DonorsChoose.org. More than 790 projects were fulfilled, benefitting more than 680 teachers and more than 83,690 students. We gave more than $532,000 in honor of Veterans Day.
The gift is part of AT&T Aspire, the company’s signature education initiative that promotes student success in school and beyond. This is just one way we support veterans and their families.
The flash funds were unveiled at a local event at Loyd Auman Elementary School in Fayetteville, NC. AT&T employees and volunteers surprised teachers and students at a school assembly with all of their new supplies, ranging from art supplies to engineering kits.
“While the men and women of the United States military make many sacrifices to ensure our freedoms, I also know that they have endless capacity to succeed in many fields, using their training to excel outside the military,” said U.S. Senator Richard Burr (NC), who could not attend the event. “It’s my privilege to support initiatives for our military families. I applaud the troops for their service and thank the individuals and organizations that are committed to doing their part to offer opportunities to those who faithfully serve our country because they know these individuals offer a wealth of experience and are an asset in the workforce.”
We are working with Cell Phones For Soldiers this Veterans Day. Employees will volunteer at veterans’ homeless shelters to prep and serve meals for veteran residents, as well as help with tasks around each facility in Dallas, TX; San Pedro, CA; Minneapolis, MN and Hopkinsville, KY. AT&T and Cell Phones For Soldiers are also donating 600 calling cards and cell phones with 1-year of AT&T service to veterans living at the shelters.
AT&T is proud to serve those who served. In 2013, the company stepped up its veteran recruiting efforts. We set a goal of hiring 10,000 veterans over the next 5 years. Since then, we hired more than 9,500 veterans and are well on the way to surpassing that goal.
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About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. In 2014, nearly $127 million was contributed or directed through corporate-, employee-, social investment- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T’s signature education initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism and mentoring.
About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. At this nonprofit website, teachers at half of all the public schools in America have created project requests, and more than a million people have donated $265 million to projects that inspire them. All told, 12 million students—most from low-income communities, and many in disaster-stricken areas—have received books, art supplies, field trips, technology and other resources that they need to learn.
About Cell Phones for Soldiers
Cell Phones For Soldiers is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing cost-free communication services to active-duty military members and veterans. Founded in 2004 by Robbie and Brittany Bergquist, then 12 and 13 years old, Cell Phones For Soldiers has provided more than 216 million “Minutes That Matter” to servicemen and women. Since 2012, “Helping Heroes Home” has provided emergency funds for more than 2,800 veterans to alleviate communication challenges as well as physical, emotional and assimilation hardships. For more information, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest pages.
