Local Qwest Employees Donate and Deliver 1,100 Backpacks for Disadvantaged Kids

(Minneapolis, August 26)—Today, local Qwest employees will deliver a total of 1,100 donated backpacks collected as part of a companywide effort for Volunteers of America-Minnesota’s Operation Backpack campaign.  Students at a total of seven schools will benefit from the Qwest-donated backpacks.

The Qwest corporation purchased the backpacks and its employees were responsible for securing the school supplies to fill them.  To accomplish this, Qwest staff sold root beer floats and held bake sales, contests, and a silent auction. They went above and beyond and exceeded their goal of donating 1,000 backpacks by 100.

John Stanoch, Qwest President for Minnesota, reported, “Qwest employees from across the state have rallied to give students a running start on the new school year.  We are proud to do our part to ensure that all children are prepared for school.”

"We worked together to creatively turn our Operation Backpack program into a unique, company-wide effort for Qwest,” explained Vicki Testerman, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for Volunteers of America-Minnesota.  "From the Qwest leadership in Denver, to the entire Minnesota team, including John Stanoch, Qwest put their heart and soul into this drive and exceeded their expectations and ours – all to help out kids heading back to school who need an extra hand this year," Ms. Testerman continued.

Operation Backpack is an annual back-to-school drive sponsored by Volunteers of America-Minnesota that provides new backpacks and school supplies for children of low-income families in Minnesota.  For low-income and homeless kids, who already feel different than their classmates, going to school without a new backpack and school supplies makes the first day of school just another reminder that they don’t fit in. Operation Backpack helps these disadvantaged kids prepare for school and approach the beginning of the school year with a greater sense of confidence and hope.  For more information about Operation Backpack, visit http://www.OperationBackpackMN.org.

About Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America - Minnesota is a nonprofit organization founded in 1896 which offers a wide variety of services to more than 27,000 children, adolescents and their families, students, older adults, persons with disabilities and special needs, and ex-offenders each year.  It is one of the oldest, largest and most comprehensive human service organizations in the state and has more than 60 programs, 900 employees and 4,000 volunteers.  Volunteers of America has a rich history of developing innovative, quality programs to meet emerging social issues and prides itself on sponsoring programs which are able to articulate explicitly the outcomes achieved in its program participants' lives.  For more information about Volunteers of America of Minnesota, visit www.voamn.org, or call (952) 945-4000.

About Qwest
Customers coast-to-coast turn to Qwest's industry-leading national fiber-optic network and world-class customer service to meet their communications and entertainment needs. For residential customers, Qwest offers a new generation of fiber-optic Internet service, high-speed Internet solutions, as well as digital home phone, wireless service available through Verizon Wireless and DIRECTV® services.  Qwest is also the choice of 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies, offering a full suite of network, data and voice services for small businesses, large businesses, government agencies and wholesale customers. Additionally, Qwest participates in Networx, the largest communications services contract in the world, and is recognized as a leader in the network services market by a leading technology industry analyst firm.

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