PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This Saturday, April 25, volunteers will contribute their time and energy at more than 750 project sites across the globe as part of Comcast Cares Day. Taking place each April during National Volunteer Month and on the heels of Earth Week, Comcast Cares Day is the nation’s largest single-day corporate volunteer effort and part of the Company’s year-round commitment to community service. More than 90,000 Comcast NBCUniversal employees, their family and friends, and community partners will “make change happen” as they spend the day giving back to their communities. Now in its 14th year, the annual day of service has completed nearly 6,000 projects and has contributed more than $16 million to local non-profit organizations.
“Being an active member and supporting the communities we serve is central to our company’s culture. With more than 90,000 volunteers helping others around the world, Comcast Cares Day has an enormous impact on our employees and communities,” said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation. “I’m very thankful to all of the volunteers and community partners who are contributing their time to make it such a memorable day and success.”
During this year’s Comcast Cares Day, volunteers at several hundred projects will serve at sites across the country and worldwide with NBCUniversal managing projects in dozens of countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland.
“Comcast Cares Day is a shining example of how our employees, family members, friends and community partners all come together with a similar goal of creating a positive, lasting impact in our communities,” said David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation. “I am proud to join the tens of thousands of volunteers who will help improve our neighborhoods, making a positive difference in the lives of others.”
Projects planned for this Saturday include revitalizing neglected neighborhood parks, beautifying schools, stocking community food banks, planting trees, refreshing playgrounds, installing computer labs at community centers, and so much more. As part of NBCUniversal’s Green is Universal initiative, many planet-friendly projects, such as building community gardens, cleaning beaches and riverbanks, and planting trees will add to the diverse line-up of projects.
Comcast NBCUniversal also has partnered with many non-profit community organizations and local chapters of the National Council of La Raza and the National Urban League, who will be working side-by-side with Comcast Cares Day volunteers on Saturday. Additionally, teams from Comcast NBCUniversal will be partnering with Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Year, and Easter Seals, along with hundreds of other local community organizations.
Below is a sampling of the multiple projects taking place this week:
- Washington, D.C. (Houston Elementary School) – Approximately 500 volunteers, including volunteers from City Year and the Latin American Youth Center will paint murals, plant flowers and plants, mulch, build vegetable gardens and do general clean-up of the school and grounds. Houston Elementary serves 274 children, of which 99 percent are on the National School Lunch Program.
- Atlanta, Ga. (Vine City Neighborhood) – Approximately 500 volunteers will work together to beautify this neighborhood, gardening, landscaping, cleaning-up trash, building a handicap-accessible ramp, installing fencing, and creating recreational areas for children including constructing an outdoor practice soccer field and installing an outdoor basketball court.
- Pittsburgh, Pa. (Sarah Heinz House, Boys & Girls Club) – Approximately 360 volunteers will spend hours on the Club’s grounds, raking, weeding and preparing for the planting of vegetables and fruits that will later be enjoyed by Club youth. The inside of the facility will also be cleaned from top to bottom. Club Kids will demonstrate their STEM learnings for the volunteers with a Robotics demonstration.
- Dallas, Texas (Grand Prairie Boys & Girls Club) – Approximately 100 NBCUniversal Dallas Ft. Worth employees will mentally challenge more than 300 semi-finalists from 14 area Boys & Girls Clubs of Dallas at the “Math Blazers 2015” competition. The completion promotes teamwork, a sense of self awareness and increased academic STEM proficiencies with an emphasis on math. Volunteers will staff and supervise five math competitions and will carry out a hands-on STEM build project where the youth will build bicycles, which will be used as prizes for top winners of the competition.
- Albany, Ore. (Vets Helping Vets HQ) – Approximately 100 volunteers will lend a hand at Vets Helping Vets HQ, a nonprofit military veterans’ education and counsel association. Projects include landscaping, painting and helping beautify the Blue Star Veterans Memorial located in nearby Timber-Linn Park. Volunteers will also spend the day sprucing up the properties owned by local disabled veterans.
- Knoxville, Tenn. (South Knoxville Elementary School - Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley) – Approximately 300 volunteers will work together to clean and beautify the school, which also serves as an afterschool center for Boys & Girls Clubs of Tennessee Valley. Projects include mulching flower beds, planting new bushes, pressure washing sidewalks, painting four-square and hopscotch areas on the playground, replacing swing chains, and other playground cleanup.
- Houston, Texas (Houston Food Bank) – Approximately 1,000 volunteers in conjunction with the Houston Area Urban League will be working on a variety of projects at the 308,000 square-foot facility that services the needs of 600 relief agencies in 18 southeast Texas counties. Projects will include inspecting and sorting food, repacking food into family-sized bags, stocking the Emergency Food Pantry, stuffing backpacks for the Pack Buddy program, and filling Internet Essentials bags for the Teachers Aid program.
- Philadelphia, Pa. (Northeast Frankford Boys & Girls Club) – Approximately 200 volunteers will work alongside Rebuilding Together Philadelphia and Scripps Networks to renovate the Club’s existing computer lab. Volunteers will also clean, paint and make minor repairs inside the Club and remove litter, build planting beds and landscape the property surrounding the Club.
- Los Angeles, Calif. (Operation Gratitude) – Approximately 675 volunteers will help thank U.S. troops and veterans who serve our country by sending care packages via Operation Gratitude. Activities include assembling and packaging care packages, making paracord bracelets, and writing thank you cards. Operation Gratitude seeks to lift spirits and meet the evolving needs of our Active Duty and veteran communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for all Americans to express their appreciation to members of our military.
- Melbourne, Australia (FareShare) – Volunteers will assist in cooking nutritious meals that will be distributed to charities across Melbourne and country Victoria, including homeless shelters, food banks and school breakfast programs.
Comcast NBCUniversal supports the communities we serve by volunteering, providing access to innovative technology, giving financial support and partnering with organizations to make communities stronger. Comcast primarily invests in programs and nonprofits that address digital literacy, youth leadership development and community service. Since 2001, Comcast’s overall giving has exceeded $3.9 billion in cash and in-kind contributions supporting local non-profit organizations and other charitable partners across the country.
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow’s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $158 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
