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Three Xerox Employees Begin Paid 'Social Service Leave' in March; Transfer Business Skills to Nonprofit World

Three Xerox Employees Begin Paid 'Social Service Leave' in March; Transfer Business Skills to Nonprofit World

Published 03-01-05

Submitted by Xerox Corporation

STAMFORD, CT - This month, three Xerox Corporation employees will put their business savvy to work and start as full-time, paid volunteers at nonprofit organizations that counsel grieving children, provide food and household items for the economically distressed, and serve families afflicted with multiple sclerosis. The three will take six-month sabbaticals from Xerox as part of the company's 2005 Social Service Leave program.

The leaves of absence are underwritten by The Xerox Foundation, which has granted sabbaticals to 461 employees since the Social Service Leave program began in 1971. This year eight Xerox employees nationwide will work for six to 12 months on community projects of their choice - while their salary and benefits continue to be paid by Xerox.

The program leverages the skills of Xerox employees in one-time projects that are designed to leave a lasting legacy with the organizations. Two of the employees starting their leaves in March are working for nonprofits in the Rochester, N.Y., area, and the third is working in Traverse City, Mich.

Three Xerox Employees Begin Paid 'Social Service Leave' in March; Transfer Business Skills to Nonprofit World

Michael's Place
Karen Sehi, a statistical analyst, will begin her six-month sabbatical with Michael's Place in Traverse City on March 1. The nonprofit supports children and adults who have lost loved ones, those who are coping with a loved one's long-term illness, and families coming out of the cycle of domestic violence. The organization currently serves more than 200 people in the grief support program.

Sehi will direct marketing, special events and volunteer training, enabling other staff to focus on building a stronger funding plan for the agency. She first became involved with Michael's Place after her brother-in-law died, leaving behind his 13-year-old daughter, and she currently serves as secretary of the board.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
On March 7, Roman Kowalski, a program manager for Xerox from Rochester, will begin his six-month project with the Upstate New York Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Through its staff and volunteers, the chapter offers programs and services to 8,000 families in a 42-county region in Upstate New York.

Kowalski will use his technical and business experience to help the organization's administration become more effective in its work processes. His primary project will be to conduct an in-depth resource analysis to develop job descriptions and metrics so that the chapter can optimize the time, effort and money it spends on client services and comply with national reporting requirements. Kowalski has been volunteering with the chapter for more than a dozen years.

Trinity House of HOPE
Patricia Forte, a Xerox financial analyst from Rochester, will start her six-month volunteer leave with Trinity House of HOPE in Webster, N.Y., on March 15. The organization houses a food pantry and used clothing and furniture center, and it offers emotional and financial support to local residents who are struggling with economic distress and poverty.

Forte's project will be to implement a permanent grant-writing system to increase the revenues available to meet their needs. "I know the one thing holding the organization back from helping more people is not lack of volunteers but lack of funds," said Forte, who has been involved with the Trinity House of HOPE for the past year.

The Xerox Social Service Leave program is believed to be the oldest of its kind in American business. 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.

Social Service Leave is just one of the ways that Xerox people support their communities; for example, about 15,000 Xerox people 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. For more information, visit www.xerox.com/csr.

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Xerox Corporation

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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