This blog was guest-written by Kelly Petrich, Community Relations Manager at Cisco

The shift in seasons not only brings a time of change, but also a chance to grow our commitment to being of service to others. Giving back to our communities is part of who we are at Cisco and makes us a stronger, better company.

To reaffirm this value, we are hosting a new week-long global initiative calledGlobal Service Week. From September 26 through September 30, we will celebrate our commitment by making a collective impact in the communities where we live, work and play.

Global Service Week provides employees, team members and Business Units with the opportunity to showcase Cisco's strong culture of giving back while creating meaningful change in our communities.

Throughout the week, Cisco employees will come together to work on hundreds of projects designed to address the social, economic, environmental, and critical human needs issues in 16+ countries.

During Global Service Week, the Cisco Foundation will also provide "Dollars for Doers" matching gifts by donating to Cisco's vetted and approved community partners where our employees volunteer their time.

Here's a snapshot of a few of the Global Service Week projects:

• San Jose, California:1,000 employees from the World Wide IT Manager's Offsite (WWITMO) team will participate inThe Crayon Initiative, where WWITMO volunteers will sort unwanted crayons to provide sick children in Northern California hospitals the resources to express their creativity and individuality through the arts.

• Research Triangle Park, North Carolina:75 employees will come together with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County to help build affordable housing for families as a special build project in a Southeastern Raleigh neighborhood.
• Lima, Peru:20 employees will help prepare food kits for children who have recently undergone cleft palate or lip surgery as patients of Operation Smile.

• Bangalore, India:Employees will help create Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) educational kits for children supported by the Children's Lovecastles Trust (CLT)

• London, United Kingdom:50 employees will help improve local park or green space for people and for wildlife by volunteering with The Environment Trust.

We are encouraging all employees to participate no matter their availability and location. For employees who are not able to join an organized project at a site, we are asking they pursue their passion for volunteering by creating their own opportunities or by joining one of the many virtual volunteer activities, like theMissing Mapsproject.

Cisco's Global Service Week is part ofMy Making a Difference, one of Our People DealMoments that Matter.

Cisco offers a robust set of resources to support our employees in volunteering for the causes, issues, and nonprofits that reflect their passions and interests. Year round, employees are empowered to "be the bridge" in their communities.

Cisco provides employees five calendar days per year of paid volunteer-time-off through ourTime2Giveemployee benefit, a matching gifts program through the Cisco Foundation, and global programs that align with our employees' passions - like Girls Power Tech and the Be the Bridge annual giving campaign. In FY16, Cisco employees volunteered over 187,000 hours and donated nearly$11.3 million to organizations around the world.

Together, we can make a difference. Spread the word on social media and let the world know how you are "being the bridge." Share your stories by using the #ServiceWeek and #WeAreCisco hashtags and inspire others by posting to the Cisco CSR Facebook page.

If you're an employee, learn how you can make a difference by visiting the Global Service Week Jive page.