AT&T Helps Organizations Navigate COVID Crisis

As organizations across the Commonwealth have adapted to the COVID crisis – from changing their business models to procuring protective equipment and much more – AT&T has stepped in to help them through this unprecedented time in our history:

• Barter Theatre: The AT&T Foundation granted $30,000 to the Barter Theatre, which in Summer 2020 officially launched their newest venture, Barter at the Moonlite Drive In. The start of Barter’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” made the 87-year-old company the first in the nation to produce socially distant, live, in-person theatre at a large scale. Read more.
• Child Care Aware: During the COVID-19 crisis, Child Care Aware of Virginia (CCAoVA) has supported thousands of first-responder and essential service families with their ongoing child care needs, connecting them to child care programs that are able and willing to remain open to provide the critical care needed to keep essential services functioning. A $50,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation is enabling CCAoVA to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies for the professionals serving families of essential workers across the Commonwealth as this crisis wears on. Read more.
• Lyric Theatre: The Lyric Theatre received a $5,000 contribution from AT&T to assist in the production of streaming content during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of state and local restrictions on gathering and crowd size, Lyric’s normal stage and film operations have been significantly reduced. In order to still engage the community, the Theatre has started streaming events around important current topics, music, and other entertainment online through the Virtual Lyric Theatre. Read more.
• Neighborhood Health and Casa Chirilagua: Neighborhood Health and Casa Chirilagua have continued to offer COVID-19 testing and provide additional human services in the Chirilagua (or Arlandria) neighborhood, and AT&T has contributed $10,000 to support their efforts. Read more.
• Safe Harbor: Safe Harbor in Richmond provides support to survivors of sexual and domestic violence and human trafficking. The current crisis has made their work more vital – and more challenging – which is why AT&T contributed $10,000 to help them continue to serve their clients during this extraordinary time. Read more.
• Visit Loudoun Foundation: The Visit Loudoun Foundation’s Tourism and Hospitality Relief Fund (THRF) received a $5,000 contribution from AT&T to support the COVID-19 Emergency Fund and Helpline, which provides rental assistance to Loudoun families in need. Read more.

AT&T Invests Nearly $700 Million Over Three-Year Period to Keep Virginia Connected

AT&T is proud to have the nation’s best and fastest wireless network¹, as well as the largest network in North America.² From 2017-2019, we invested nearly $700 million in our wireless and wireline networks in Virginia to expand coverage and improve connectivity in more communities.

That investment has increased reliability, coverage and overall performance for residents and businesses, which is essential for connecting our customers with family, friends and colleagues – no matter the distance. It’s also improved critical communications services for Virginia’s first responders using the FirstNet network.

"We’re committed to keeping you connected when and where you need it most."

Vince Apruzzese – President, AT&T Virginia

“We know that our continued investment in Virginia is vital to keeping people connected – from public safety personnel during a crisis to friends, family and loved ones on a daily basis,” said Vince Apruzzese, president, AT&T Virginia. “We’re committed to keeping you connected when and where you need it most. We show up for our customers and communities. That’s what we do. It’s who we are.”

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AT&T Helping Teachers & Students Go Back to School

The new school year looks very different for teachers and students across the U.S.

It’s especially true for educators serving pupils with special needs. Just 1 in 5 families with children in special education reported receiving all the support services to which their children were entitled when schools started distance learning.¹

To help, AT&T matched donations up to $250,000 to special needs distance learning projects posted from low-income school districts to DonorsChoose, a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that allows public school teachers to request support for resources. To learn more about other projects you can support, click here.

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AT&T Marks Hispanic Heritage Month

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th – October 15th, it’s important to reflect on what each of our companies and organizations are doing to promote cultural awareness and inclusion of the Hispanic/Latino community.

Inclusiveness is built into AT&T’s company culture, and diversity at all levels of our workforce is critical to our success. I’m proud to work for a company that signed the Hispanic Promise, a first-of-its-kind national pledge to hire, promote, retain and celebrate Hispanics in the workplace. The Hispanic/Latino community makes up 15.9% of AT&T’s workforce in the U.S. and continues to grow, as does their impact on our economy.

Having the largest racial or ethnic minority population in the U.S.¹, Hispanics contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. 

• The GDP produced by the Latino community in the U.S. in 2017 was $2.3 trillion.²
• GDP among the Latino community also grew at a faster rate than the overall U.S. economy in that time.³
• There are 4.7 million Hispanic-owned businesses that, combined, contribute over $700 billion to the American economy every year.⁴

While we celebrate the significant contributions of Hispanics/Latinos to our communities and companies, we must address the negative impact COVID-19 has had on them. According to the Brookings Institution, job and wage losses due to COVID-19 have hit Latino adults the hardest and 33% of Latino parents/primary caregivers have either seen their business shut down and/or have experienced significant drops in revenue. Latino Americans are also more likely than non-Hispanic whites to contract COVID-19 and to face disproportionately high mortality rates when they contract the virus.

What is AT&T doing to help?

At AT&T, our core value to Stand for Equality has never been more relevant, not only inside AT&T but outside, as well. It is a business imperative to champion equality, diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our business. That's why we recently committed an additional $10 million this year to create economic opportunities and foster upward mobility for underserved communities who face long-standing social inequities and higher unemployment, all of which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Calling “Parent Superheroes” Everywhere!

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that parents and caregivers are superheroes. From juggling jobs and childcare to managing distance learning and monitoring screen time, they are doing it all. These “parent superheroes” are now sending their children back to school, many in a virtual setting, while continuing to grapple with all they’re being asked to manage.

This is one reason AT&T is teaming up with some of DC’s most iconic Super Heroes such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg in a new educational spot to remind “parent superheroes” everywhere to set parental controls on the connected devices in their household, and visit ScreenReady.com for help.

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1 Best Network based on 2019 GWS OneScore. Fastest based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data median download speeds for Q1 2020. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

2 Based on comparison of carrier owned & operated networks. No AT&T on-net coverage in select countries, including Canada.

3 United States Census Bureau

4 LDC U.S. Latino GDP Report

5 Id.

6 United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce