Going the extra mile.

Happy Friday, V Team! On today’s edition of Up To Speed Live, host Raquel Wilson shared the following updates:

• Monday: Andy took us to Dallas to visit our Hidden Ridge and Irving offices. We also met some Texan V Teamers and announced a leadership update.
• Tuesday: Public Sector leader Maggie Hallbach shared how our Verizon Frontline and Response Team are prepared for crises, especially with hurricane season approaching. Plus, V Teamer Rachel McCall shared how our VtoV Employee Relief program helped her family in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
• Thursday: We met V Teamer Bradford Zimmerman, who recounted his Verizon career journey and hailed Verizon’s Healthy Pregnancy Program for helping his growing family.

Global Accessibility Week

Yesterday was Global Accessibility Awareness Day, when our Office of Accessibility hosted a virtual event to promote conversation and thinking about access and inclusion for people with disabilities. The event showcased people who participated in Verizon’s Forward for Good Disability Innovation program, which is aligned with Citizen Verizon, our business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement to help move the world forward for all.

If you’re interested in getting involved, join our Verizon ADVANCE (Advocates for Disability, Accessibility, Neurodiversity, and Caregiver Empowerment) Employee Resource Group, which provides related resources and educational programming to our V Team.

Women of the World graduation

More than 1,200 leaders from across the business graduated Tuesday from Verizon’s Women of the World (WOW) program. The event celebrated amazing women at Verizon who demonstrate commitment to personal growth and development in advancing skills and careers.

WOW is one of our career-development programs designed to equip women with tools to achieve their goals. Participating V Teamers develop five critical skills: personal brand development, self-leadership, effective communication, critical thinking, and career ownership.

We’re sending a big shout-out to the 293 squad leaders who led and supported this team throughout the 12-month program. There are now over 3,000 women across the V Team worldwide who have graduated from WOW.

Want to learn more about WOW? Keep an eye out for future cohorts, and chat with your supervisor for more information.

Spreading ‘Kindness’

Our #ACallForKindness campaign continues with another Kindness Mural – this time in Birmingham, Alabama – by local artist E.L. Chisolm.

With a colorful message that emphasizes “Kindness is a strength not a weakness – be kind,” the mural is on display at 314 17th St. North, in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District. If you happen to be in the area, snap a picture and tag #ACallforKindness on social media.

With more than 20 Kindness Murals popping up in cities across the country, keep an eye out for even more inspiring community artwork in the near future.

A special surprise

May is Military Appreciation month, and all month long, we’ve been celebrating our armed forces and their families for their dedication to and sacrifice for our country.

We shared the story of Verizon Associate Director of Business Sales Cassie Blomgren, who co-parents her children with active servicemember, Sergeant First Class Jesse Blomgren. Together, they planned a sweet surprise for their family, including a special reunion and the purchase of a new home. Thanks for sharing your special moment with the V Team, Cassie!

V Team, to show your support for active military service members and veterans, check out our Citizen Verizon Volunteer Portal for a variety of volunteer opportunities, which include making paracord bracelets, and writing letters to deployed service members.

Have a great weekend, V Team!

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

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