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Trading Places: 8 Xerox People Swap Corporate for Community Service in 2005 'Social Service Leave' Program

Trading Places: 8 Xerox People Swap Corporate for Community Service in 2005 'Social Service Leave' Program

Published 01-31-05

Submitted by Xerox Corporation

STAMFORD, CT - Eight Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) employees will transfer their strong business skills, problem-solving abilities and passion for service from inside the walls of Xerox out into the world of community nonprofit work as part of fully paid, 6- to 12-month sabbaticals taking place in 2005.

While they aim to make a difference by helping to support grieving children, teach adults how to use computers, raise much-needed operational funds and lead other activities benefiting their neighbors and communities, they will continue to receive their full salary and benefits from Xerox.

The leaves of absence are part of The Xerox Foundation's long-standing Social Service Leave initiative, which has granted sabbaticals of up to one year to 461 employees since the program began in 1971. One of few corporate sabbatical programs that provide paid opportunities for employees to volunteer full-time in their communities, Xerox's Social Service Leave program is believed to be the oldest of its kind in American business.

Under Social Service Leave, the eight Xerox people will work full-time for eight nonprofit agencies in six communities to accomplish projects of the employees' design and choosing. Altogether, the group is donating 66 months of service through the program, though all eight already have a history of volunteer commitment to their selected agencies.

"Whether it is earning a Social Service Leave or volunteering in other company-supported community projects, Xerox people have proven time and again their personal commitment to making a difference in the places they work and live," said Anne M. Mulcahy, Xerox chairman and chief executive officer. "We value and respect their contributions and are honored that our leavetakers continue the proud Xerox tradition of giving back to and investing in local communities."

Xerox estimates that through the collective efforts of Social Service Leave participants, it has donated about a half-million volunteer hours over the past 33 years.

The 2005 Xerox Social Service Leave participants are:

  • Nick Evevsky, systems engineer, Rochester, N.Y.: 12 months with The Academy for Career Development, which provides educational programs to disabled and disadvantaged people. He will teach technical and computer courses and help in marketing and fund-raising.
  • Patricia Forte, financial analyst, Webster, N.Y.: 6 months with Trinity House of HOPE, which operates a food pantry, a clothing center and other resources to help people who are in need. She will develop a grant-writing system to stabilize and increase the center's funding.
  • Roman Kowalski, program manager, Rochester, N.Y.: 6 months with the Upstate New York Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He will develop job descriptions and metrics so the chapter can optimize the time, effort and money that it spends on client services and comply with national reporting requirements.
  • Joyce Nakada, senior software engineer, Rochester, N.Y.: 6 months with the Family Resource Centers of Rochester, which supports parents and the development of young children. She will streamline data-handling processes so that the staff can spend more time on family-focused programs.
  • Dan Reynolds, production publishing specialist, Springfield, Ill.: 9 months with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, a state affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America. He will develop and implement a strategic financial plan to secure private-sector funding, better support operations and build a cash reserve.
  • Karen Sehi, statistical analyst, Traverse City, Mich.: 6 months with Michael's Place, which supports children after the death of a family member or friend. She will direct marketing, special events and volunteer training, enabling staff to focus on building a stronger funding plan for the agency.
  • Tevis Taylor, document solutions executive, East St. Louis, Ill.: 9 months with Delta Child Development Center, an agency that provides child-care services and education to children from infancy to age 12. She will help create a reading program for pre-kindergarten children, a computer-training curriculum for older children and adults, and a new agency Web site.
  • Bill Walsh, senior solutions executive, West Chicago, Ill.: 12 months with the Humanitarian Service Project, which provides food to people in need. He will help raise funds, provide strategic planning, and help search for and acquire a new, larger building so the agency can better serve its clients.
Social Service Leave was conceived by former Xerox president Archie McCardell in 1970. He and another Xerox executive were on a flight from California, where they had made a donation to a university on behalf of Xerox. A conversation about how "easy" it was to give money turned into a discussion about what kind of philanthropic gesture would represent a genuine sacrifice for Xerox. They concluded that the company's most valuable asset was its employees, and that offering employees' time would demonstrate a true philanthropic commitment by the company.

Then-CEO C. Peter McColough said in a letter to employees announcing the program in 1971: "Each year we contribute several million dollars to worthwhile institutions and projects. Yet we don't think that's enough ... so we decided to offer what we can least afford to give - the full-time service of Xerox people."

Social Service Leave is just one of ways that Xerox people support their communities; for example, about 15,000 Xerox employees volunteer on projects each year through their local Xerox Community Involvement Program. Corporate philanthropy is a fundamental component of Xerox's corporate responsibility and citizenship efforts, which include environment and health programs, minority- and women-owned supplier programs, diversity and employee support, and business ethics and corporate governance initiatives.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on each project, photos of each participant and more information about Xerox, visit www.xerox.com/csr or www.xerox.com/news.
XEROX® is a trademark of XEROX CORPORATION.

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Xerox Corporation

Xerox Corporation is a nearly $16 billion global enterprise that helps businesses find better ways to work through innovative technology integrated with document-management services. Over the past 40 years, Xerox has demonstrated leadership in sustainability and citizenship by designing "waste-free" products built in "waste-free" plants, investing in innovation that delivers measurable benefits to the environment, supporting educational and community projects around the world, and many other integrated initiatives. For more information, visit www.xerox.com/citizenship.

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