The days after Thanksgiving can often be centered around holiday shopping during Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Following this time of “getting,” Aspiring Mid-Career Professionals from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions celebrated #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving back to kick off the giving season.

The “Living an #UNSelfie Life” event gave AMP members the opportunity to network with others and
participate in a holiday-themed photo booth while donating over 100 toys for the Savannah River Site Toys for Tots campaign, which will end on Thursday, Dec. 7.

“Giving Tuesday allows us to pause from our hectic everyday lives and give back to the community
any way we choose. For AMP, it was to encourage our members to engage with the site tradition of the
Toys for Tots campaign, with the idea in mind that every child deserves a gift this holiday season,” said
Natalia Johnson, SRS Toys for Tots Chair and AMP Professional Development Co-Chair.

For over two decades, SRS employees have made the holidays brighter for area children through their Toys for Tots campaign. Since the first SRS Toys for Tots campaign took place in 1991, over 375,000
toys have been collected for families in need.

Each year, several tractor-trailers full of presents from the “SRS Toy for Tots Pick Up” event are sorted at Salvation Army locations. Aiken Marines then distribute the gifts to children in Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell and Edgefield counties, as well as the towns of North Augusta, Beech Island, Belvedere, Williston, Salley and Couchton. The Marines from Augusta supply toys to Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes counties and the town of Wrens.

“Giving Tuesday unites people from all over the world. It doesn’t matter where you live or how much you give,” said Katie Davis, AMP Communications Co-Chair of SRNS Environmental Compliance and Area
Completion Projects. “It’s about sharing why you give to inspire others, which is why we wanted to have
the photo booth for AMP members to share their ‘why’ behind the reason they give.”

Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports
giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources. The yearly
tradition harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring
about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of
time, resources and talents to address local challenges. It also brings together the collective power of a
unique blend of partners—nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals—to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness.

AMP serves SRNS full-time employees who have between seven and 20 years of work experience. In
addition to providing networking and professional development opportunities, the organization offers
outreach events for its members through organizations such as T-RecS Adaptive Baseball Skills (formerly known as Buddy Baseball of Aiken) and other community support and education outreach opportunities.