ROME, NY, December 17, 2004 - A 3-year-old boy needed a warm coat for Christmas.  A family desired blankets.  An 11-year-old girl asked for boots.

Each of these holiday wishes is being granted this season by employees at the New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation (NYSTEC), a Rome company that for the last four years has made gift donations to children and families served by the Madison County Domestic Violence Program in Oneida, N.Y.  Every December employees pick tags labeled with family members' wishes for clothes, toys or household items.  The employees purchase and gift-wrap the items, while other employees make cash donations.  This holiday season NYSTEC is contributing around $1,500 in gifts, as well as $200 in cash.

"I can't say enough about the help NYSTEC has provided the families we serve," said Domestic Violence Program Manager Tammy Van Epps.  "Thanks to their generosity, the holidays are much brighter for some very needy people in our area."

NYSTEC Executive Director Bill Pirillo believes it's important that his company give back to area communities.

"As a small not-for-profit company with 45 employees, we can't afford to make huge charitable donations like some larger corporations do," said Pirillo.  "But our business has done very well in recent years, and we feel obliged to help people who are less fortunate.  We try to personalize our charitable acts by filling real needs in the community.  I like to think we're a small company with a big heart."

Besides contributing to the Madison County program, NYSTEC employees also donate their time and money to the Rome Humane Society, the March of Dimes, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the United Way.  On Dec. 7, NYSTEC employees rang the bell at the Salvation Army kettle outside the Rome Wal-Mart for the entire day.  In addition, every few months NYSTEC employees ship personal items to soldiers in Iraq serving under Colonel Dan Travers, a NYSTEC project manager and Army National Guard officer who was called to military duty last summer.

"To be honest, I have an ulterior motive regarding charitable acts," said Pirillo.  "When our employees volunteer for service projects it boosts their morale, which is always good for business.  Volunteering can also boost productivity because people gain experience with teamwork.  Its a win-win situation for us and the community."

Copyright © 2008 NYSTEC