Cal Poly's Project Make [It] Count

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has awarded a team of Cal Poly business students $5,000 in start-up funding to implement a service project for the benefit of children in Haiti and the local San Luis Obispo community. Cal Poly's project -- working alongside local elementary school students to decorate more than 700 shirts with messages of hope and send them to Haitian children in need of clothes and encouragement -- was one of only 19 selected nationally as part of the firm's "Project Make [it] Count" initiative.

PwC recently invited teams of business students from nearly 50 schools across the country to focus on an issue, cause or project that is important to them, then create plans to implement their ideas using up to $5,000 in seed money provided by the firm. PwC offered guidance and local office staff to support each of the selected projects, enabling Cal Poly students to collaborate with people at the firm in a meaningful way to give back to the community.

On May 14th, Cal Poly students visited the CL Smith and Laureate elementary schools, helping the children decorate new t-shirts with messages of encouragement and support for the children of earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Friendly videos and pictures of Haitians in need were shown to our local youth, heightening their understanding of the activity that they participated in. Our local children were helped by their Make [It] Count "big brothers and sisters" to write these messages in the French and Creole languages, so that they can be read by those Haitians in need.

Additionally, on May 20th and 27th, booths were set up at Farmers Market, allowing more children and college students to participate in the effort and have the opportunity to learn and give. A similar event on May 24th was held at Cal Poly's own Dexter Lawn.

Rays of Hope for Haiti foundation has offered to distribute supplies collected during the events. The What If? Foundation in Haiti has agreed to accept a monetary donation that will be provided by local small businesses in San Luis Obispo.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Make It Count