Inside a North Florida office, volunteers recently packed bags with baby shower items and other goodies for families of our nation’s heroes. The all-women volunteer group smiled with excitement and shared in the joy of knowing 50 soon-to-be-mothers would be receiving the gift bags. They even included a brand-new laptop, so parents can easily access online resources.
Volunteers like Myra Balgos said the event was extra special because the surprise gifts will go to active-duty service members and their growing families. Balgos, an auditor in Comcast’s Florida Region, was looking for an opportunity to give back to her community through volunteerism. Her desire to help led Balgos to join the Women’s Network, the employee resource group which organized the recent Team UP event.
“I truly enjoyed seeing the impact that we can have on our community,” said Balgos. “Partaking in this shower allowed me to understand that there is no activity too big or too small when it comes to giving back. It was also such a great opportunity to engage with and get to know other amazing, talented women from Comcast that I would not otherwise have had the pleasure of meeting”.
Team UP is an always-on, 365-days-a-year effort to provide employees opportunities to get more involved in their community. The volunteers delivered the gift bags to THE PLAYERS Championship to help support Operation Shower. Since 2007, Operation Shower has surprised more than 6,800 military families with much-needed baby items. This year, 50 more families were selected in honor of the tournament’s 50th anniversary. The championship golf event is set to take place March 12 – 17 in Ponte Verde Beach, Florida.
The gift bags, filled with baby shower items including the 50 laptops, were made possible by a financial investment from Comcast. Since 2010, Comcast has contributed over $5 million in cash and in-kind donations to non-profits, community events, sponsorships and other initiatives in Florida’s First Coast including Jacksonville.
