OT Global Protection Creates the Bridging 2 Communities Program to Fight COVID-19 and Bring Safety to Underserved Communities Throughout the U.S.

Underserved communities throughout the U.S. continue to suffer disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC, Black adults in the U.S. are nearly 4 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than White Americans. The results have been devastating; adults left unemployed or underemployed, families unable to stay in their homes or put food on the table, children missing out on school and ill-equipped to study at home.

To fight COVID-19 and bring safety to these communities, OT Global Protection, Overland-Tandberg, National CARES Mentoring Movement and 10 CARES Affiliates, all Black-owned entities, in collaboration with AT&T, announced today the creation of Bridging 2 Communities.

Bridging 2 Communities’ mission is simple but powerful: Unify and service underserved and underrepresented communities. Over the next 100 days we will deliver 100,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, 100,000 masks and gloves to communities in 10 cities: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area (Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose), Seattle and Washington, D.C. And then do it again, and again.

“There is a great need in low-income Black communities to receive critical pandemic-related supplies to help protect families against COVID-19,” said Susan L. Taylor, Founder and CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement. National CARES’ mentoring programs are designed to heal the traumas of growing up in impoverished communities and schools. “Our CARES Affiliate leaders in the 10 designated cities have done the work of identifying the community-serving organizations and coordinating this big undertaking so product deliveries will be smooth and efficient. This needed support of our vulnerable families is the brainchild Eric Kelly, an entrepreneur and hero. Eric is devoted to serving and giving back. I’m excited to support Bridging 2 Communities.”

“We have been connecting people for more than 140 years, and we look at supporting Bridging 2 Communities as another way to connect people and help make them safe,” added Jalayna Bolden, Director, Supplier Diversity, AT&T Global Supply Chain. “We are pleased to donate hand sanitizer and gloves that will allow underserved families to stay healthy, recover from the pandemic and get on with their lives.”

“While the U.S. has become an increasingly diverse society, resources continue to be available often to a select few and this truth has, unfortunately, been as obvious with the COVID-19 pandemic as it has been with other tragedies,” said Eric Kelly, Overland-Tandberg’s Chairman and CEO. “Our mission with Bridging 2 Communities is to harness the interest and resources of today’s committed business and non-profit leaders to bring relief to underserved communities nationwide and beyond.”

Leadership Roles

Each of the Bridging 2 Communities founding organizations will play a prominent role:

• OT Global Protection will donate 100,000 masks.
• AT&T will donate 100,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 100,000 pairs of gloves.
• National CARES Mentoring Movement will leverage its 58-city network to work with local organizations to coordinate distribution of supplies.

About the National CARES Mentoring Movement

The mission of the National CARES Mentoring Movement is to secure, heal and transform the lives of impoverished Black children by inspiring, recruiting and mobilizing masses of caring Black men and women to mentor and nourish them. Our national volunteer affiliate network connects adults to schools and local youth-serving organizations that have a desperate need for more Black volunteers. Our national group-mentoring programs focus on the emotional, social and academic development of our children and the wellness of the adults who parent, mentor and educate them. Read more at: https://caresmentoring.org/

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a diversified, global leader in telecommunications, media and entertainment, and technology. AT&T Communications provides more than 100 million U.S. consumers with entertainment and communications experiences across TV, mobile and broadband. Plus, it serves high-speed, highly secure connectivity and smart solutions to nearly 3 million business customers. WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content to global audiences through its consumer brands, including: HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner Classic Movies. Xandr, now part of WarnerMedia, provides marketers with innovative and relevant advertising solutions for consumers around premium video content and digital advertising through its platform. AT&T Latin America provides pay-TV services across 10 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean and wireless services to consumers and businesses in Mexico.

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information is available at about.att.com. © 2021 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Learn more at: https://www.att.com

About Overland-Tandberg

Overland-Tandberg is a global technology company that develops and manufactures hybrid cloud IT infrastructure and data protection solutions enabling businesses, large and small, to securely manage and protect their digital assets. Serving Enterprise, Small to Mid-size Enterprise (SME), Small to Medium-sized Businesses (SMB), and Small Office Home Office (SoHo) markets and spanning over 90 countries, Overland-Tandberg’s brands have created a rich and trusted heritage across the globe. At Overland-Tandberg, empowerment of people is essential to unlocking the virtues of progressiveness and inclusion, placing the company in front of the competitive landscape and ensuring the company is ready for the next 40 years, and beyond. To learn more please visit: www.overlandtandberg.com.

About OT Global Protection

OT Global Protection facilitates comprehensive business continuity solutions, personal protection of people, organizations and communities. Our mission is to provide sustainable and scalable worldwide solutions. We’re committed to ensuring people, organizations and communities around the world are safe and healthy. For more information, please visit: www.otglobalprotection.com.

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