Saving Street Kids
The Deepalaya-Swagat Kendra Project is home to 45 street children in New Delhi, India. Sponsored by Cisco employees, the project offers institutional care for underprivileged, vulnerable, and destitute children by providing lodging, education, and vocational skills. It also provides noninstitutional care to working children who are surviving without any formal support systems, to integrate them back into society. “What is most impressive is that the program is completely funded out of pocket by the engineers and team managers in India,” says Cisco employee Nirav Sheth.
Getting Goods to the Needy
S.H.I.P. Aid collects clothing, food, antibiotics, bandages, books, and other items and ships them to poverty-stricken villages and rural areas in developing countries. The United States produces huge quantities of cast-off goods that are often wasted because people cannot find ways to donate them to communities that need them most. Cisco employee Deron Thorp and others created a grassroots organization that gets basic goods to “adopted” communities, and also helps provide suitable conditions and opportunity for youths to receive a quality education. S.H.I.P. Aid sent approximately 17,000 pounds of essential materials to the African nation of Lesotho in April 2007.
Taking Teenage Creativity Public
Coyote Central in Seattle, Washington, helps middle-school youths ages 12–15 to discover their intellectual and creative talents. For the third year running, Cisco employee Jim Rzegocki and his son will raise funds for Coyote Central. Coyote sets up 18 workshops in the heart of Seattle so that 200 kids can try their hands at creative problem-solving in professional workplaces. The organization also works with local entities to allow the teenagers to transform vacant lots, rundown storefronts, and unsightly façades into community landmarks. Since 1986, almost 7000 youths have participated.
Coordinating Disaster Relief
Oxfam is a major force for relieving poverty and suffering around the world. Over the past few years Cisco’s Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) Civic Council has supported Oxfam Australia in many ways, including a donation of equipment and technical support to connect 17 Oxfam field offices in the region affected by the devastating Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. The technology helped Oxfam respond quickly when a tsunami hit the Solomon Islands in March 2007. In addition, Cisco donated a Cisco Unified Communications solution for Oxfam Australia’s new Melbourne headquarters, further improving Oxfam’s ability to respond to emergency situations. Cisco employees have also contributed technical consulting, volunteer work, and personal donations to Oxfam.
Feeding the Hungry
During this year’s “Harvest of Hope” campaign, Cisco contributed $2.8 million to aid 106 hunger relief agencies. More than $1 million of that came from personal employee contributions. Food banks across North America benefited from the drive, including the Ottawa Food Bank in Ontario, Canada, which feeds more than 400,000 needy people each month. Cisco staff in Kanata, Ontario, donated more than $107,000 in cash to the organization as well as 25 boxes of food. “Last year we logged 250-plus hours, which represents the efforts of more than 40 Cisco Citizens volunteers,” says employee Barbra Snyder.
Serving Underserved Schools
A team of Cisco volunteers donated nearly 100 hours of service during Cisco’s Day of Service campaign to the Children’s Lovecastle Trust. This organization is dedicated to bringing educational resources, including IT equipment and training, to children in rural and other underserved communities across India. The volunteers painted and organized a campus library, and donated books and CDs to the charity. “In addition to the volunteer hours, corresponding grants from the Cisco Foundation will help the charity scale its programs from six to 30 schools, giving many more children access to quality education,” says volunteer Shruti Gautam.
Rebuilding After the Hurricane
A group of Cisco employees spent a day with Habitat for Humanity helping to rebuild 26 homes that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. After the experience, the volunteers realized there was much more they could contribute. They contacted Habitat for Humanity administrators and volunteered to help them develop processes and inventory tracking systems to help the organization be more productive and efficient. “It’s a good feeling to know that as Cisco Citizens, we can use our skills to give back to people who are really in need,” says volunteer Dave Rubal.
