On Jan. 26, 2001 an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale killed more than 30,000 people in Gujarat, India and left more than 500,000 homeless and living in the open or in makeshift shelters.

When news of the quake reached the United States, instead of forgetting about it after the 11 o'clock news report, AT&T employees in the technical community banded together and immediately got involved in relief efforts.

Led by AT&T Labs' Satya Dosapati and Tushar Shah, a full-fledged funding drive was organized and launched within one week. Through posters, banners, e-mail and voicemail messages, and a quickly-created Web site supporting disaster relief efforts in India, employees across multiple New Jersey locations were encouraged to lend their support by making donations through the AT&T Matching Gift program.

Over the next several weeks, employees turned out in full force to show their compassion and support for the earthquake victims. According to Satya, "Our greatest rate of response came from South Jersey locations. More than 20% of employees in those locations participated and donated more than $45,000."

"There was an incredibly high level of participation in the Matching Gift program for earthquake victims in India," adds Mitzi Vaimberg, vice president, Civic and Community Service Program, AT&T Foundation. "Employees donated over $100,000, and the AT&T Foundation provided an additional $100,000 in matching funds. The amount raised is an indication of what can be accomplished with dedication and initiative."

Critical — and much appreciated support — was also provided by several volunteers (both employees and consultants), many Asian/Pacific American Association for Advancement (4A) organizations and members, and local property management. "Some people donated their time very generously and went way beyond the call of duty," says Tushar Shah, principal systems engineer. "Our initiatives owe a lot of their success to local property management people like Bob Gibney and Christine Kuznitz from Middletown and Kathleen Schwartzer in Lincroft."

During his own free time, Tushar created a web site so employees could get current information about the earthquake, planning and implementation details about the on-going drives, downloads for posters, instructions for the drive at other sites and up-to-date results.

Also lending support — on the other side of the globe — was Virat Bhatia, AT&T Corporate Affairs and managing director in India. Although not involved in fund-raising efforts, he served a crucial role as AT&T's local link to events and progress on a day-to-day basis.

"The level of support shown by employees during this disaster demonstrates that AT&T is a solid corporate citizen," says Praful Shah, business development manager in AT&T Network Services. "We can all be proud of AT&T's awareness of and concern for the worldwide community."

Funds collected were given to the American Red Cross, who was responsible for disbursement.

For exemplary leadership and commitment demonstrated during the drive, Satya and Bob were acknowledged at a luncheon held recently in Middletown. "The entire experience gives us all a unique and special feeling of gratification and pride in our workplace," adds Tushar.

— Wendy Macey