Hundreds, even thousands have holidays brightened by TDS^®

More than a dozen non-profit agencies receive gifts, toys, food and supplies from TDS and its employees.

Hundreds of dollars in gift cards, barrels of food, boxes of toys, and countless household items were donated by Telephone and Data Systems Inc., TDS Telecom, and their employees. Earlier this week, all the donations were sorted, packed, and delivered to more than a dozen area non-profit organizations — just in time to brighten the holidays for those in need.

There were also about 50 individuals and dozens of families who received hand-selected and wrapped gifts through the Porchlight Angels program. TDS employees have been teaming with Porchlight, a local agency working to decrease the homeless population, since 2011, serving as Angels and helping those in need.

“It’s heartwarming and inspiring to watch employee after employee stroll out of the building to deliver their wrapped gifts,” says Andrew Petersen, VP of External Affairs and Communications at TDS. “As they hand the gifts to waiting Porchlight employees, they know their hand-selected gift will soon be delivered to someone who otherwise would go without. Every year, we have more employees volunteering to be a Porchlight Angel. It’s extremely moving!”

According to Petersen, for weeks, employees have also been bringing in food, toys, pet items, and household objects — filling bins placed throughout TDS offices in Dane County. In addition to Porchlight, more than a dozen non-profit organizations are receiving support from TDS and their employees this year, including:

• Toys for Tots — four overflowing boxes of toys.
• Domestic Abuse Intervention Services — one large oversized bin filled with necessities and $360 in gift cards.
• Dane County Humane Society — two jumbo-sized bins filled with pet supplies, peanut butter, food, and $145 in gift cards.
• Independent Living — one massive-sized bin filled with necessities and $135 in gift cards.
• Salvation Army — more than 70 employees volunteered to ring bells for 35+ hours.
• Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin — 15,000 meals resulting from the canned food drive, phone system donation for the annual Share Your Holidays telethon, and the employee charity of choice vote; employees also volunteered to answer phones during the telethon.
• Agrace Hospice Care — received $3,500 as a top vote-getter in the employee charity of choice vote.
• $1,000 donations to the following food pantries:
  • Badger Prairie Needs Network, Verona
  • Village of Belleville Food Pantry
  • Green Cares Food Pantry, Monroe
  • Lussier Community Center Food Pantry, Madison
  • Middleton Outreach Ministry
  • Waunakee Food Pantry

“I’m proud to work here and to see the level of employee involvement this time of year,” says Petersen. “What’s remarkable, though, is that our employees give year-round. Helping others is just part of our culture. Whether volunteering or donating their time, they are always very generous.”