June 20 - PricewaterhouseCoopers hosted the Second Annual ‘Summer Wide-Game Picnic’ for Bridging the Gap youth on June 20.  PwC volunteers headed to Mile High United Way and were greeted by nearly 60 foster youth from across Colorado.  During the Summer Wide-Games, a carnival with a purpose, PwC volunteers barbecued food, played games and networked with foster youth.  Volunteers hosted various life skill booths where participants could listen to lessons on how to balance a budget, how to write a resume, lifelong education, and more. 

Bridging the Gap at Mile High United Way seeks to help youth in foster care reach stability by building personal and financial assets and increasing opportunities.  Youth in Bridging the Gap receive Individual Development Accounts, which are matched savings accounts used to promote asset building.  Participants work to save money in their IDA in order to purchase an asset, such as a vehicle, security deposit on an apartment/down payment on a house, insurance, investments, education or medical costs.  Among other goals, Bridging the Gap seeks to transform the way communities view their responsibility to youth in foster care and provide links to personal networks of caring adults and other young people.

Volunteer Perspective:  Roy Turner, Manager Partner at PwC:

“PricewaterhouseCoopers is celebrating its third annual Day of Service.  This year we are focusing on developing the next generation of leaders by volunteering in schools and at youth organizations. Supporting the development of young people allows our staff to share their skills and knowledge, to advance future leaders and create future talent for the marketplace.

Our staff are very appreciative of the interactions between themselves and those in the community with whom we work.  What we manage to accomplish is every bit as important and meaningful to us as it appears and, we certainly hope, it is to those our efforts support.

To further support our staff in developing meaningful, long-term volunteer relationships with community organizations, we have recently introduced a program awarding each staff member 10 hours of community service time for use throughout the year.  We look forward to hearing about their activities.”

June 27 - Thirty PwC volunteers joined Bridging the Gap youth on June 27th to provide further help to these youth.  Volunteers split into groups to create Asset Packages for Bridging the Gap participants when they purchase an asset with savings from their Individual Development Account.  Volunteers spent the morning creating brochures on information such as maintenance checklists, helpful resources and other things to know to help participants make a successful asset purchase.  Following lunch, volunteers and youth assembled more than 200 Asset Packages that will be given to participants when they make an asset purchase as they exit foster care to independence.

During these two volunteer events, PwC Volunteers made a tremendous impact on the lives of foster youth and were able to share life skills with them.  Volunteers and youth connected during the two days, and the young people were able to walk away with important life skills along with the knowledge that so many people in the business community are committed to their success. 

Volunteers left feeling they had truly touched the lives of foster youth and made a lasting difference.  Bridging the Gap recognizes the value of PwC Volunteers and that support from the business community is integral to the program’s success. 

Volunteer Perspective:  Anonymous Volunteer

“I feel very honored to have been given the opportunity to work with the genuine people I got to meet today.  Some of the individuals, whether high school students or adults, were truly inspiring whether they knew it or not.  It felt so great to give them guidance and share some of my life experience in exchange for the opportunity to be a fleeting moment in what they have witnessed and are going to do with their lives.  These people have been through a lot, I am sure, judging by their dispositions and demeanor, but their desire to listen and take to heart what we shared with them to better themselves increased my selfworth, and for that I will be eternally grateful to the organizers of the event. I am even more thankful to the individuals who came and were willing to share themselves and impart their spirit and background with me in a real life forum of learning.  I cannot express enough what it meant for me to be a part of such an amazing experience. I especially appreciated a young man named Dominique.  He was very shy at first, but then burst to life and was very inquisitive and motivated.  I hope I get the opportunity to meet him again someday and possibly help him to grow his educational and career aspirations.  THANKS THANKS THANKS!!!”