Toys, Trees, Time Highlight TQL Gifts

People in safety vest posing for a picture

We kicked off TQL Cares for the Holidays at the end of November. Teams around the company and country have been busy sharing their time, talent and treasure ever since.
 
TQL Nashville collected and delivered more than 50 gifts to Toys for Tots of Middle Tennessee Dec. 15.
 
“We had not worked with Toys for Tots previously, but we got involved because we have some Marines here in the office and knew that they would love it,” said national sales recruiter Shane M. “We have decided to make it an annual charity that we will focus on, along with the Brittany Project.”
 
The Brittany Project is one dear to Team Nashville. It carries on the wish and memory of founding team member Kyle M’s late cousin, a police officer who provided Christmas trees for families who might not otherwise be able to afford one.
 
The team also forged a partnership with Nashville Food Project and will continue volunteering there on a monthly basis.

The claims department at Edison in Cincinnati has worked with several different agencies while helping senior citizens or families in need each of the last eight Christmases.

Last year they partnered with Clermont Senior Services. This, year St. Vincent de Paul provided the team with a single mother of four who needed help. Claims bought and wrapped more than 20 gifts for the family of five.

“We just knew of the agency and went there for someone to help,” said claims representative Angela F. “We hope that they have a great Christmas this year after Santa visits. The gifts (were) dropped to SVDP Dec. 17 and they will deliver them to the family for us.”

Team Columbus returned to the Salvation Army of Central Ohio to help out with the annual Christmas Cheer program, which provides food and toys for nearly 8,000 families in a two-day period.

“TQL volunteered Dec. 16 as cart runners, taking the toys and food the families received to their cars and unloading the gifts for them,” said BTL Cristina W. “We’ve done this for a few years now. It’s always amazing and humbling to see the gratitude people have when we load up their cars.”

TQL Orlando also served in a recurring role, sending seven team members to a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando build on Dec. 12.

“We raised the wall of their newest Habitat home,” said BTL Beau J. “It was a blast.”

While this particular build fell during the holiday season, TQL Orlando has a year-round partnership with Habitat; team members also worked on 2015 builds in February, April and July.
TQL Lexington had 50 people ready to donate to the Kentucky Blood Center Dec. 17, 2.5 times the 20-donor goal KBC set for the first-time corporate contributors.

KBC harvested 40 units of blood, half of which came from first-time donors.
 
“This was our first drive with them,” said national sales recruiter Sophie F. “They used to work with ITT Tech, who shared the same building as us. When ITT Tech moved, KBC reached out to us about getting involved.”
 
And had to be pleased by the turnout. According to the KBC website, “One pint of blood can help save the lives of up to three patients. Kentucky's population is about 4 million and 90 percent of Kentuckians will need blood or blood products at some point in their lives.”
 
Let us know your story and how you’re helping your communities this holiday season. Send photos and/or videos of your volunteer work to socialmedia@tql.com. We’ll highlight some of them on the Life At TQL social media channels and here on the blog site.
 
Because TQL Cares.

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