By William Bradford – CEO of United Communications
The holiday season is known for its celebrations and traditions. It’s also a season when community and generosity shine. At United Communications, we try to make the holiday season special by giving back to the communities we serve across Middle Tennessee.
Investing in the areas we serve is part of our DNA at United Communications. As a local internet service provider, we care about the communities we serve because we also live in them. It means a lot to our employees and to our company as a whole to give back to the local places where we live, work, and play. Here are a few ways we do just that:
1. Paid Time Off for Volunteering
There are so many incredible nonprofit organizations across Middle Tennessee. At United Communications, we believe in empowering our employees to find a cause they’re passionate about. We provide paid time off to volunteer or serve. While this happens all throughout the year, many of our employees have the option to spend a half-day or whole day during the holiday season to volunteer with their favorite local nonprofit.
Whether that means spending the day at a local food bank or serving lunch to veterans, our employees rally around the idea of volunteering and giving back to the communities in which we live and work.
2. Participation in Local Holiday Parades
One of our favorite traditions is participating in the local holiday parades across our service area. Few things capture the spirit of the season more than the joy and memories created through this tradition.
Each year, our team works to deck out a United bucket truck with garlands and lights. In addition to handing out candy, we pass out holiday coloring cards for kids with our United cartoon characters, Webbie and Filbert.
This year, we’re passing out goodies at the holiday parades in Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Smyrna, Chapel Hill, and Eagleville.
3. Sponsoring Local Families
For the past several years, our Human Resources team has coordinated a giving drive to sponsor holiday gifts for a few families who call Middle Tennessee home. We work closely with local agencies to identify families in need and collect donations from our employees during November and December. At the end of the campaign, we match our employee contributions with a company donation and give the total to make the holidays a little brighter for these families.
Last year, our employees donated nearly $2,500. With the company match, we gave nearly $5,000 to sponsor three families in the Middle Tennessee area. These families were given gifts for the children, clothes, and gift cards to help buy groceries for their holiday meals!
We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity of our employees and honored by the opportunity to bless these families.
United Communications Exists to Make Our Communities Better
After 75 years of serving Middle Tennesseans, our team fundamentally believes in supporting others. When it comes to our company, this means working hard to bring broadband internet to increase economic development in more towns across our state.
Once we bring service to these towns, we invest in them through events, volunteering, and charitable donations. Our “holiday traditions” are just a few of the ways we are trying to give back and improve the lives of Middle Tennessee residents. We’re grateful for all the United team members and customers who make it possible for us to celebrate the holiday season in such a meaningful way.
May you and your family have a joyous holiday season.
If you want to learn more about United Communications or high-speed fiber access in your community, contact United Communications or visit Project UNITE today.
Author:
William Bradford
President and CEO of United Communications
With over 20 years of executive experience in telecommunications management, William Bradford has guided United Communications to become a leading provider of internet, digital TV, and phone services for enterprise-class businesses and residential customers in Middle Tennessee. His passion for bridging the digital divide in rural communities led to Project UNITE, an initiative to provide fast, reliable broadband service to every under-connected home or business in the Tennessee mid-state region. He is the past president of the Tennessee Telecommunications Association and is actively involved in industry trade groups. William graduated with honors from Wake Forest University with a degree in Mathematical Economics. He and his family live in Brentwood, Tennessee.