People story | June 2024 | Read time: 3min
Finding community in a time of need
When you think of Deloitte professionals, it’s probably easy to see us as just a number—one of literally hundreds of thousands. As a someone who’s been with this organization for seven years, I can confidently say this is not how I have felt. I have community at Deloitte. . And I feel like I, Kaylee, a Manager with Deloitte Tax LLP in Chicago, Illinois, am appreciated for the unique perspective I bring and am cared for as an individual here at Deloitte. To put it bluntly, 2021 was a challenging year in my life. My romantic relationship ended then my apartment flooded. At the end of the year, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. As I’m sure you can imagine, that was a shock to my system. I had so many questions about how treatment would go, how would I be able to work while figuring this out. I felt supported by both Deloitte as an organization and my colleagues. Thanks to generous time off, medical leave programs, and the support of my teams, I was able to put my health first.
Fast forward to 2023 and I clinically don’t show any signs of cancer. I’m heading towards a clean bill of health Throughout this time, I have felt support from Deloitte to give back to a non-profit that has given me so much.
Each June, Deloitte personnel participate in Impact Day. Impact Day is Deloitte’s annual day of service that celebrates our year-round commitment to collectively making an #ImpactThatMatters in the communities where we live and work. The volunteer activities are led by professionals at nonprofits they are passionate about. This year, I wanted to help to give back to a local nonprofit, Gilda’s Club Chicago, whose mission is to uplift and empower the lives of anyone who has been impacted by cancer. Gilda’s Club Chicago welcomed me with open arms when I first diagnosed. Since then, I have become further involved with them and thus wanted to include them into Impact Day. This year we created art kits for those going through cancer treatment, and at first I was anxious we wouldn’t have enough volunteers.
Again, this Impact Day, I learned that I am not in it alone. We filled our volunteer roster and then some. I met colleagues for the first time with impactful stories who cared just as much as I did about the organization’s mission. It was reaffirming for me to see a whole group of people, right in my local office, who volunteered with me at this organization that’s so close to my heart. That’s the impact of Deloitte.
Impact Day is more than just a day of service. It’s about coming together to care for people and causes that speak to us. Being a site lead for Gilda’s Club Chicago was how I made an #ImpactThatMatters through my Deloitte community. Each of us have a choice to volunteer in areas that we’re passionate about, which allows us to meet new groups of people. Connecting a charitable cause that means so much to me with Deloitte is something that truly makes Deloitte unique.
