You may have read the many ways Cisco encourages its employees to give back throughout the year. Most notoriously, this is done through the Time2Give initiative which provides employees 5 days every calendar year to give back to ways that are most important to them in both their local communities, and cities around the globe. But there are so many other ways we give back too!

Often we come together onsite at Cisco campuses or in team bonding experiences where we "rally the troops" to make the most impact for charities that need our help. Annually, our Talent Acquisition (TA) team does this through an event called TA Gives Back. Typically this is one day in the year where all of TA organizes give back efforts around the globe, this year -we extended those efforts to an entire week, and even celebrated

#InternationalDayOfCharity while doing so!

For my part this year, I was able to help teach a technology class at the National Council of Aging. What many of us take for granted in being experienced or having grown up with technology, the older generations are struggling to learn. I felt this was a great way to give back to my community, and to showcase the awesome powers of technology to a new generation!

That morning as I walked into class, I saw several women waiting behind laptops eager to begin. They were warm and welcoming and that immediately made me feel comfortable. We started the class by discussing why they were there and what they wanted to learn.

I quickly realized how important this class was to them.

These women were trying to get back into the workplace. They wanted to communicate with family members via video chat that lived out of state. Today's technology was important to them and they knew the value in it -they just needed (and wanted) to learn how to use it.

Having worked in the tech industry for many years myself, I was excited to be able to share my knowledge with them. I found a real purpose in helping them to understand how to use some of the tools that we use every day at home and in the workplace.

Again, they are skills we often take for granted -but in helping them to navigate their laptops, set up their email accounts, and get started in using their smartphones with video capabilities -I knew I was helping to connect them to the world as well. It was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to go back and continue to teach these valuable technology skills.

As a Cisco Recruiter, I work every day to help change people's careers and lives. I love making an impact in this way, and this (along with Cisco's encouragement to do so) has made me a more giving person in my everyday life.

Working at Cisco has made me realize how powerful it is to help others, and it leaves me feeling so privileged to work for an amazing company that "gets it." My leaders and colleagues are always a ping, email, or phone call away and they consistently have my back. We work together at Cisco to succeed and get the job done no matter what, but some people may not have the support or education they seek. This is where giving back becomes key.

As we all know, our days can be full and it can be difficult to balance our work, family, and social lives. The fact that Cisco not only recognizes this, but then enables their employees to take time away from their work to volunteer and help others is a tremendous benefit.

Working at Cisco has changed my life, and in giving back -Cisco is now empowering me to change other's lives in meaningful ways as well. For that, and so much more, I am thankful to work at Cisco and proud that giving back is a year round event for us.

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