EY: Committed to building a stronger Detroit with United Way
Published on December 1, 2017 in Volunteerism
We believe great things happen when we Live United. And our partners continue to prove that through employee giving campaigns and volunteerism.
EY is one such stellar partner. In 2016, the Detroit office staff volunteered 3,050 hours of service and marked its sixth year partnering with us via national EY Connect Day. EY Connect Day is a company-wide initiative that steers volunteerism across the country. This year, 31 people led 14 projects for a total of 338 volunteers. As a result, they gave back 1,200 hours of volunteer time for a total impact of $28,949.
“Working with EY is energizing. They have a passion for making our community a better place for everyone,” said Katie Costello, Corporate Relations Director for EY at United Way.
Camille Song, an EY tax staff employee, said volunteering gives her the opportunity to give back to society.
“People are out there struggling just to get through the day without starving. I just want to do something to help them and make their days a little bit better. I know what I can do might be limited, but I believe as long as I stay active and willing to contribute, there will be someone benefiting from it.”
Volunteers like Camille and corporate partners like EY can use our new online volunteer portal to discover new ways to give back as individuals or as teams. Individual volunteers can create a profile that matches their skills to their interests. They’ll get matches sent directly to their inboxes.
Alicia Selig is an EY Senior in Fraud Investigations & Dispute Services. “I love that the portal is user friendly, easy to understand and allows individuals to follow and favorite organizations to make sure they don’t miss out on opportunities where they can help,” she said.
Alicia and her colleague Lovisa Benbow co-chair the EY IMPACT Council. The Council works to engage EY employees by taking them on Learn United Tours and through volunteerism.
Recently, EY hosted its first semi-annual volunteer fair highlighting its Detroit office’s commitment to community engagement. During the event, dozens of people signed up with us and our partner organizations. The Impact Council also launched a corporate strategy called VIBE (Volunteers Inspired to Benefit Everyone). VIBE helps employees build their philanthropic careers through consistent volunteerism and engagement.
EY is committed to helping build a stronger Detroit through its corporate social responsibility efforts — the three E’s — growing the positive effects of entrepreneurship, education and equity. Where we are proud to partner with them and achieve their philanthropic goals.