Nothing changes a child's life like having a good friend.
This is especially true for children who have suffered abuse and neglect.
UCAN invites you to help such a child
by mentoring a youth or volunteering. 

  

KPMG's pride@kpmg Chicago Chapter volunteers for
UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program

This August, a group of professionals from KPMG LLP's pride@kpmg Chicago Chapter came to volunteer at UCAN. Led by KPMG Advisory Manager Bruce Dotten, who serves on UCAN's Advisory Board, the group worked to plant a birch tree they donated, clear an overgrown garden, and spread gravel to create a driveway. This took place at the home of a couple who have voluntarily opened their home to house four homeless youth through UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home Program. This program, which provides temporary housing to homeless youth, is an innovative approach to moving Chicagoland's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth beyond life on the streets.

KPMG is an audit, tax, and advisory service firm, and one of the Big Four accounting firms. With more than 22,000 employees in the U.S., the firm is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Its national pride@kpmg employee resource group was established in 2003, and today boasts nearly 650 members and 12 chapters. KPMG Senior Designer Mark Steinbrunner, co-chair of group's Chicago Chapter and also a UCAN volunteer, shared that some of KPMG and pride@kpmg's many accomplishments include:

• Being among the first in the industry to offer benefits to same-sex domestic partners (1999)
  
  
• Offering tax offsets to LGBT partners and employees for the additional federal and state tax costs of medical benefits for same-sex domestic partners (2012)
  
  
• Being recognized for its efforts by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), PFLAG, Work Life Matters, and DiversityInc magazine among others

Bruce Dotten recommended UCAN to pride@kpmg, which was looking for additional ways to support LGBT youth. Bruce shared that, "KPMG in Chicago had no official knowledge of the work UCAN had done or was doing in the community. I was excited to introduce two great organizations so that they may collaborate and leverage their resources to help even more youth and the community."

Thank you to everyone who volunteered for UCAN! Your support of our youth and our mission is greatly appreciated. 

Click here to see the types of volunteer opportunities we have available. 
Click here to find out more about becoming a mentor.

For more information on volunteering at UCAN please email Ellen Acevedo, our External Affairs Manager at acevedoe@ucanchicago.org.

To read about our outstanding volunteers and mentors of the year award winners click here.