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Employees Are the Superpower Behind Giving Tuesday

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Ana White
Published November 30, 2021
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Today is Giving Tuesday, and as we mark this special day that has evolved into an international generosity movement, it’s a time to celebrate generosity and the spirit of kindness. It’s also a time to reflect on the superpower behind this giving campaign: the amazing individuals in each of our organizations who make this day a success.

At F5, we’ve turned Giving Tuesday into a week-long celebration, and it’s become one of our company’s most important giving campaigns—one that generates positive results for hundreds of nonprofits worldwide.

A Shared Spirit of Giving

Each year on Giving Tuesday, we encourage our employees to donate to a cause they’re personally passionate about and share why—and our employees respond in an amazing way. Last year, for example, thousands of F5 employees across 45 countries participated in Giving Tuesday, collectively donating $580,000 to 1,800 organizations across the globe.

This year I’ve personally decided to support Childhaven, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing childhood trauma and adversity. Childhaven offers a wide range of multi-generational focused and trauma-informed programs that make a profound, life-changing difference in children’s lives.

This is just one of thousands of causes. F5ers bring a diversity of experiences and passions—and I find it personally heart-warming to see the breadth of nonprofits they support and learn why these causes are meaningful to them.

From helping people with autism to protecting endangered wildlife to improving opportunities for economically disadvantaged women, the personal desire for each employee to make a difference is what makes this campaign a success.

Together We Are an Ocean

As we kick off our third year of this important campaign, I’m continually amazed by the generosity and open-heartedness our employees bring to this effort.

As our CEO François Locoh-Donou shared when reflecting on Giving Tuesday, “Together we are an ocean—and each of you contributes to this shared power … I’m proud of the collective impact F5ers have been making to this unique day in which people around the world come together to celebrate the joy of giving.”

Making the World a Better Place

Our employees truly are our superpower. Not only do they drive the success of our products and services, but they embrace a human-first spirit that’s key to bringing about a more equitable, resilient, and compassionate world.

Below are some of the personal stories of F5 employees and what Giving Tuesday means to them. I hope you’ll enjoy these stories as much as I do.

Happy Giving Tuesday!

Giving to a Cause That’s Personally Meaningful

Anshu Anchit

Anshu Anchit, F5 Senior Scrum Master, India

I’m supporting: Nirmaan AVANTI Women Skill Development, which helps women from economically disadvantaged families build the skills and confidence needed for economic and social independence.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “From my teenage years onward, I have seen the struggle of economically deprived families, especially women. In my school, they used to work hard for long hours and get less salary because they were not skilled. Women are half of the total population in India, and I always believe that when women work, economies grow. Unless we address issues related to women like gender inequality, gender disparity, malnourishment, social dependence, etc., I believe our society cannot improve and grow.”

Why I give: “Nothing is more rewarding than giving back to society. Giveback promotes a feeling of kindness and greater responsibility towards society. And doing the act of giveback in person gives a lot of satisfaction, especially if the resources are utilized in the best possible way.”


Paula Gomez

Paula Gomez, F5 EIG Program Manager, Mexico

I’m supporting: Diagonal 45, which helps people 45 and older re-integrate into the labor force after losing their jobs or taking a career break.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “I´m convinced that every person in the world has a lot to share with everyone regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender identity, hard and soft skills, etc. It is great to serve people and help them self-discover their ‘special gift’ to the world. Usually, during my interventions, I find that people feel stuck, and the most common reason is because they’ve lost their self-confidence, thus impacting their capacity to highlight and self-promote their own talent. Sometimes people just need a safe space and the right encouragement to reconnect with themselves. To be a witness of that is a privilege life has given to me.”

Why I give: “I would answer this one with one of my favorite quotes from Jane Goodall: ‘What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.’”


Jamal Jeremiah

Jamal Jeremiah, F5 Program Manager, U.S.

I’m supporting: Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN), which is working to bring ethnic studies into every Washington state classroom taught by anti-racist educators committed to centering the history and lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “There is a grassroots swelling of support for ethnic studies in schools in order to provide students of color with a curriculum that represents an honest depiction of their history. I’m a father of two young Black boys, ages 1 and 4, who live and go to school in Washington state. It would be amazing if they, their friends, their friends’ friends and everyone in-between could grow up in an education system like the one WAESN is trying to create.”

Why I give: “I think it’s important to give back because that’s what you do when you love something. Whether it be a person, a cause, or an entire community, when you love something, you do what you can to help.”


Anjuli Lam

Anjuli Lam, F5 Senior Technical Writer, U.S.

I’m supporting: Densho, which documents oral histories from Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “In Japanese, Densho means ‘to pass on to the next generation’ or to leave a legacy. The Employee Inclusion Groups at F5 have encouraged me to revisit and, in many cases, dive deeper into the uglier chapters of American history. Organizations like Densho are crucial for future generations to understand the Asian American experience, so we can have a better future. Remembering the personal stories and identifying with these experiences can prevent us from making the same mistakes again and enable us to better recognize injustices while they are happening instead of after.”

Why I give: “I want to support organizations that dedicate their time and expertise to valuable projects like preserving Japanese American stories of the past for the generations of tomorrow. We can learn so much from organizations like Densho, but they rely on our support to keep the archival work going.”


Galit Lendner

Galit Lendner, F5 Accounting Manager, Israel

I’m supporting: ALUT, which works to ensure the well-being, rehabilitation, economic status, and future of people with autism in Israel.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “I was exposed to people with autism as a young girl. My neighbor used to manage a school for kids with autism, and I was fascinated with the stories of how much improvement they can make when they’re well-supported.”

Why I give: “When you give there is such a huge reward. I personally volunteer now on a weekly basis with older people, and I am always excited by the appreciation and love I receive back.”


Chris Meredith

Chris Meredith, F5 Senior Solutions Engineer, and Co-Chair of the F5 Veterans Employee Inclusion Group, U.S.

I’m supporting: USO Northwest, which strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country throughout their service to the nation.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “Serving in the U.S. Navy from 1992 to 1998, I can’t tell you how many times I was delayed by weather in the Chicago or Orlando airports and would always stop by the local USO chapter in the airport to find a friendly face, a hot cup of coffee, and a comfortable place to rest, and meet with other service members traveling throughout the United States. These memories of moments spent in the USO have often given me great pleasure to reflect and remember, and because of this personal experience—and the similar experience of so many other military veterans here at F5—we chose the Northwest USO for this year’s giving campaign.” 

Why I give: “I think that the teamwork, camaraderie, and sense of ‘family’ that nearly all of us get from our time in military service instill in us a desire to give back to our communities in some way.  For some, that is a gift of time; for others, it could be cash donations.  For me, I try to do a little bit of both.”


Sophie Paton

Sophie Paton, F5 Office Administrator, Australia

I’m supporting: Lifeline Australia, which provides Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. 

Why I’m passionate about this cause: “The demand for Lifeline services skyrocketed through COVID—and as we are now moving into ‘the new normal,’ we are only starting to see the impact, both emotional and financial, the pandemic is leaving behind. People’s lives will never be the same, and much support will be needed to get us through this next phase and the mental health crisis happening worldwide. Lifeline is a crucial service as it is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Lifeline gets a call every 30 seconds from someone who is reaching out for help. With the upcoming holiday season, which always sees a higher demand, I feel Lifeline will need as much help as possible.”

Why I give: “The motivation is simple really. Helping others make you feel good! COVID has proven that you can’t do life alone, and I’m grateful for all the help I received in my life so far. You never know when life will throw you a curve ball and you will be in need. So, while I can, I try to help as much as possible.”


Stephen Spillane

Stephen Spillane, F5 Office Manager, Ireland

I’m supporting: Movember, an annual event that involves growing moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness about men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. I’m also supporting Cork DAWG, a network of volunteers taking care of abandoned, abused, and ill-treated dogs in Cork.

Why I’m passionate about these causes: “Movember is important to me as I was diagnosed with testicular cancer last year. Information is critical when you have something like this happen, and Movember had all the information in plain English including what the options were going into surgery, what to expect afterward, and what happens three to six months afterward. Every woman is bombarded with information about breast cancer and how to check their own breasts, but the same isn’t true about testicular cancer. We need to raise awareness about these issues so men know what to look for.

“My whole family are dog lovers and we started fostering dogs through Cork DAWG a long time ago. We fostered this one dog, Freddy, who was found under a car, and within a week he was jumping into my bed. Then we met Sam, a Jack Russell Terrier who on the first weekend with us started sitting on my lap. You see the life and love come back when you adopt a dog and give them love, and Cork DAWG is a fantastic organization that’s doing everything they can to give every dog a second chance in life.”

Why I give: “When we give back, we get back even more. It may not always be for ourselves, but when we do good, good happens. It gives us hope. And that’s really important.”


Chriselna Welsh

Chriselna Welsh, F5 Field Marketing Manager, South Africa

I’m supporting: Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre, which rehabilitates and releases injured birds of prey into their natural habitat and promotes awareness of the raptor species.

Why I’m passionate about this cause: From a young age I took an interest in birds and identifying the various species. It became a hobby and a passion as I often spent time outdoors looking to the skies for large raptors. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about their habitat, their nature, and how they hunt. It is up to us as humans to take care of the wildlife around us and preserve it for generations to come. The conservation of raptors is critical to the sustainability of many ecosystems and their functioning. If we protect them, we can also keep many other species safe for many years to come.”

Why I give: “The importance of giving back stretches far wider than just that of the people—or animals in this case—around you. Giving back means that you can have a positive impact on your community and that of generations to come.”

To learn more, visit the F5 Global Good webpage.