Worldwide Facilities (WWF) Design and Sales Community Involvement Team (CIT) Click here to watch the video.

TI's Worldwide Facilities (WWF) Design and Sales Community Involvement Team (CIT) is an active group of volunteers who participate in United Way "Days of Impact" events in their Dallas-area community on a year-round basis.

While this dynamic TI team has a wide range of skill and experience, all of its members are equally committed to making their community a better place for everyone. From volunteering with United Way to hosting fundraising events to sprucing up school yards, this team takes on each challenge with a smile and enjoys making a difference in people's lives.

Kevin Badgett, manager of WWF's Design and Sales Facilities project management team, said the team receives frequent requests for support and rarely says no.

"We are fortunate to have a leadership team that supports these types of activities and allows us to take the time as a group to come out and help the community," Badgett said. "We enjoy going out to sites, helping people and seeing the results of our efforts."

Impacting people's lives
Bruce Willette, a WWF project manager, has been a United Way volunteer for 10 years. He said WWF was the first group to start the Days of Impact (also known as Day of Caring) effort about eight years ago and lead the charge to expand the program from one time a year to multiple times throughout the year.

"Each Facilities group has several teams that go out and help — about nine separate ones in total," Willette said. "Our culture in Facilities is service, so when something comes up and someone needs assistance, we're there to help."

Marcus Lockhart, who also works in WWF, has been coordinating United Way-funded Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Meals on Wheels deliveries for his group for the past year-and-a-half.

"I grew up in the Oak Cliff area, so it's great to give back to the community," Lockhart said. "Taking a day out to help someone really makes a difference."

Taking on new challenges
TI employees Vicki Taliaferro, joined the company in March 2012 and was excited to have the opportunity to do something for the community through United Way as a new employee.

She had served on United Way of Metropolitan Dallas' Board of Directors from 1999-2003 and was happy to become re-engaged with the service organization.

"It's important to share the skills that I have with the community and give back," Taliaferro said. "I'm lucky to have an education and a job, and I particularly like working with children and education."

Elizabeth Vance-Brodersen, a WWF project manager, was a first-time volunteer at a "Day of Impact" event held earlier this year at Gabe P. Allen Elementary School in Dallas. She was happy to see how excited the children were by the team being there to help make enhancements to the school grounds.

"They sent us pictures, the moms and families cooked for us, and they were all very grateful," Vance-Brodersen said. "It makes you feel really good to see a project come to fruition."

Paying it forward
Lisa Holomshek, a WWF project manager, has been involved with United Way for about 10 years. While in elementary school, Holomshek said she was mentored by a woman through the United Way. Years later, through her involvement in United Way as an adult, Holomshek had the opportunity to serve her former mentor.

"We gave an Angel Tree to an organization that she [her former mentor] was supporting at the time," Holomshek said. "It was one of my proudest moments when we were able to provide a tree and gifts and serve them."

Christina Quinones-Alvarez, a WWF project manager, believes all TI employees should give back to the community through United Way.

"We are very blessed with a good job and all of the things we need," Quinones-Alvarez said. "We should give back our time and money to help people who are not as blessed."