Spotlight: Verizon employee Dalia Santiago gives back to her local community through a variety of ways through her affiliation with the Verizon Pioneers.

Dalia dressed as Jelly Bean the clown in the Community of Mayors event held in Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn for autistic and disabled children.

Dalia Santiago, a drafter with Verizon Services Operations, enjoys giving back to her community in a variety of ways. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Nova 5 chapter of the Verizon Pioneers - an association of Verizon active volunteers. Her position with the Pioneers gives Dalia an opportunity to engage with the Verizon Foundation so she is excited when she can join organizations like Community of Mayors, an organization that provides recreational therapy for kids with special needs. Dalia and the kids have a great time participating in events and activities that include special outings to amusement parks and museums. Dalia especially enjoyed participating in Operation Santa Claus at JFK Airport. The program hosted over 4,000 kids with special needs who were served lunch and refreshments, received toys and greeted Macy's Santa Claus, who arrived via Delta Air Lines shuttle.

Dalia also partners with the Foundation in serving as the campaign coordinator for initiatives at her Flatbush Avenue office including Shower for the Shelter, Tools for School, HopeLine, and Season Readings. Dalia is undeterred by the amount of time required to prepare and participate in special needs programs or Verizon volunteer programs because, as she explains, "it is great to show others how to give back to the community."

Dalia also recognizes the importance of supporting Verizon's sustainability efforts. She recently volunteered to support "Go GREENgineering," an E-waste, acid recycling initiative that helps reduce, reuse and recycle Verizon-owned assets. Dalia and the members of the Network Engineering department are making great strides in the clean up of all abandoned and unwanted equipment in Brooklyn by collecting and properly disposing of monitors, printers and fax machines, etc.