T-Mobile Strengthens Hawaii and Washington Nonprofit Organizations with $50,000 in Donations

Through the company’s Difference Maker Award, T-Mobile employees in Hawaii and Washington chose five charities to support, underscoring the Un-carrier’s dedication to making a positive impact in local communities

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) today announced a donation totaling $50,000 to two Hawaii and three Washington nonprofit organizations that are making a difference in their communities. The organizations — Ferndale Food Bank, Generating Hope, Habitat for Humanity Seattle–King & Kittitas Counties (SKKC), Maui Food Bank and the Maui Strong Foundation — each received $10,000.

T-Mobile employees in Hawaii and Washington had the opportunity to select the organizations as part of the company's Difference Maker Award — a quarterly recognition program that launched last year to recognize top-ranked business performance areas across the company. The award included the chance for the winning employees to present checks and dedicate a day of service at each organization. This marks the program’s third quarterly recognition, following the first in Puerto Rico and the second in Virginia.

“It’s a privilege to recognize our Hawaii and Pacific Northwest employees who rock it every day in their jobs and communities,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “The Difference Maker Award puts a spotlight on our teammates’ standout contributions while also empowering them to further the causes closest to their hearts. T-Mobile and these five organizations are all better for their outstanding efforts.”

Here’s a closer look at how T-Mobile's donations are making a difference.

(Ferndale, Wash.) Ferndale Food Bank

Ferndale Food Bank is on a mission to distribute food and support to all community members in need, with dignity, respect and understanding.

“We are seeing our community need more support than ever right now. The lasting economic impact of COVID 19 has pushed more of our neighbors to need help in ways they have not previously. Being able to get support from the food bank not only saves them funds that they can redistribute to other needs, but also provides them meals they did not know how they were going to get otherwise. No one can solve any problems if they are also hungry, and everyone deserves to have access to nourishing food. Support of the food bank gives our community access to that food. These funds will go directly to providing that need for folks. It would not be possible without the support of amazing community partners like T-Mobile,” said Sierra Cook, Co-Director of the Ferndale Food Bank.

(Wapato, Wash.) Generating Hope

Generating Hope provides overnight shelter through Noah’s Ark, support services and community outreach to address housing insecurity and homelessness in and around the Wapato area on the Yakama Nation.

"Noah’s Ark has helped me heal and recover my life and continues to help me stay and live recovered. I have goals and dreams I am striving for and Noah’s Ark has helped me start my journey in reaching them,” said a Former Resident and Noah’s Ark Intern.

(Renton, Wash.) Habitat for Humanity Seattle - King & Kittitas Counties (SKKC)

Habitat for Humanity (SKKC) builds, repairs and preserves affordable housing, serving nearly 900 King and Kittitas County residents every year with a variety of programs such as homeownership, home repairs, homeowner education and Habitat stores.

“We are very grateful to T-Mobile for its generous $10,000 donation, which has been applied to our Repairs program. This donation has filled the gap in funding for one critical structural repair that needed to be addressed urgently and has provided the homeowner with the peace of mind of remaining safely in her home for many years to come,” said Brett D’Antonio, CEO, Habitat for Humanity SKKC.

(Maui, Hawaii) Maui Food Bank

Maui Food Bank is on a mission to help the hungry in Maui County by collecting and distributing food through community partnerships, distributing over 4.5 million pounds of safe, nutritious food each year, including 800,000 pounds of fresh produce.

“Words cannot fully express the significance of T-Mobile’s kindness and generosity towards helping the hungry in Maui County. Since the fires, T-Mobile’s gift of $10,000 has significantly helped Maui Food Bank distribute over four million pounds of food, including 600,000 pounds of fresh produce. We are deeply grateful for T-Mobile’s contribution in providing hunger relief to those in need,” said Marlene Rice, Development Director, Maui Food Bank.

(Maui, Hawaii) Maui Strong Foundation

The Maui Strong Foundation is a part of the Hawaii Community Foundation, aimed at providing financial resources to support short and long-term recovery needs for the people and places affected by the devastating Maui wildfires.

“Thank you to the T-Mobile employee ‘ohana’. Your commitment to our community is a testament to the enduring impact that philanthropy can have, and we are profoundly grateful for your ongoing dedication to building a more promising future for Maui,” said Harmony Hallas, Donor Relations Officer for Hawaii Community Foundation.

T-Mobile's Ongoing Commitment to Hawaii and Washington

These donations underscore T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to making a difference in communities throughout Hawaii and Washington. Other investments include the Un-carrier's Hometown Grants program, which provides funding to 100 small towns each year to use toward city beautification projects, public improvements and more. Since launching the five-year program in 2021, Kunia Village, Hawaii has received $50,000 and nine towns in Washington have received grants totaling nearly $450,000.

T-Mobile's HQ Grants program supports non-profit organizations in the Seattle area that provide digital connectivity solutions, digital literacy training, job skilling to prepare citizens to compete in the digital economy, as well as non-profits working to address challenges specific to the greater Seattle area. Since its launch in 2022, the initiative has provided $2 million to 35 non-profits.

In addition, Project 10Million is T-Mobile’s $10.7B initiative aimed at helping close the digital divide in education by offering free internet connectivity and mobile hotspots to up to ten million eligible student households across the United States. Through T-Mobile’s education programs, the company has connected over 60,000 students, from over 100 school districts across Hawaii and Washington and is also offering school districts free and heavily subsidized data plans and access to affordable laptops and tablets. By the end of 2023, T-Mobile provided $6.4 billion in services and connected nearly 6 million students across the U.S. through Project 10Million and other education initiatives.

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About T-Mobile

T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com