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Supporting Our Communities

GCI employees give back during holiday season

Employees receive 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer at local nonprofits each year

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — GCI and its employees are committed to being good neighbors and supporting local communities. As part of that commitment, each employee gets 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer at nonprofits of their choice, which some chose to use this holiday season at Covenant House Alaska and Catholic Social Services in Anchorage.

“Whether it’s volunteering at food banks, homeless shelters or other causes close to their hearts, our employees care deeply about making an impact in their communities,” said Tiffany Vassar, senior manager of GCI Gives, GCI’s corporate philanthropy program. “While employees can volunteer at any time throughout the year, many choose to give back during the holiday season, helping those in need.”

Recently a team of volunteers spent their afternoon at Covenant House Alaska, playing bingo, handing out prizes and serving lunch to staff and clients. Covenant House Alaska provides many essential services to teens, like GED preparation, job readiness, mental health services, life skills training and more.

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(From front to back) Senior VP and GM of GCI Consumer Services Paul Landes, Chief Marketing Officer Kate Slyker and Executive Administrator Mary Simton call a bingo game at Covenant House Alaska.

“The holiday season can be an especially challenging time for at-risk youth,” said GCI Chief Marketing Officer and longtime CHA board member Kate Slyker. “Volunteering a few hours of our time is the least we can do to spread some cheer and brighten the days of those who rely on Covenant House Alaska.”

Since 1988, CHA has served more than 26,000 at-risk youth experiencing homelessness. 

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(From left to right) Dir. of GCI Corporate Communications Megan Webb, Dir. Marketing Michael Schmidt, Executive Administrator Mary Simton, Senior Executive Aide Vanessa Kitchen, Dir. Sr. D.E.I Deborah Ferrell, Dir. Business Marketing Jessica Taft and Senior VP and GM of Consumer Services Paul Landes prepare to serve lunch.

In addition to Covenant House Alaska, GCI employees recently volunteered at the Brother Francis Shelter, putting snack bags together for guests before dropping them off to those in need.

“One of the things I love most about working for GCI is our culture of giving back and that is front and center during the holiday season,” said GCI Vice President of Connectivity Products Josh Lonn. “This isn’t the first time that we have donated our time to the Brother Francis Shelter, and it won’t be the last. The work done there is incredible and it’s our pleasure to help out, especially during the holiday season.”

“This snack is not just something to have between meals, but also a reminder that the community cares,” said Catholic Social Services Community Engagement Manager Kelly Mullin.

Brother Francis Shelter offers emergency shelter services to men and women experiencing homelessness in Anchorage. Last year, it provided more than 25,385 bed nights and more than 57,640 meals to people in Anchorage.

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(Back) Gokhan Goker, Duncan Whitney, Kim Jakubowski, Josh Lonn, Paul Knott, Nathan Dennis, Greg Schlabaugh, Scott Hipsak, Jin Chong, Brett Worrall, Steve Ault, Meredith Kirby, (front), Zsivon Kron, Alice Klopstad prepare snack bags for Brother Francis Shelter.

GCI employees have a long history of giving back to communities across the state. Each year, more than 500 employees volunteer over 5,000 hours with nonprofit organizations.

GCI is one of Alaska’s leaders in corporate philanthropy, donating approximately $2 million each year in cash, products and connectivity to organizations across the state. For more information about GCI Gives, visit https://www.gci.com/why-gci/gcigives.

About GCI

Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at http://www.gci.com/. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.