Booked for a cause

October 1, 2018

As young professionals, we saw the value of social responsibility and thought this would be a fun and impactful way to make a difference

— Meredith Kisla
 

What started as a volunteer project as a part of Deloitte’s annual Impact Day activities quickly turned into a literary initiative bringing together Deloitte Tax’s 2018 Chicago intern class and professionals at Deloitte’s Chicago Tax practice.

Meredith Kisla, a senior at Saint Mary's College and Patrick Klimek, a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, had just started their summer tax internship at Deloitte’s Chicago office. While managing their busy schedules and upcoming assignments, the pair also found time to get involved in Deloitte’s Impact Day projects, an opportunity for Deloitte professionals to give back to the community.

Turning a page

They were volunteering at a local school’s library when Meredith noticed the poor condition of the books; they were ripped, torn, and tattered. Thinking there was something she could do about it, she reached out to fellow intern Patrick, who also shared the same sentiment. Together they decided they would host a book drive.

Even though they were volunteering for just one day, they realized they could make an even bigger, long-lasting impact. Meredith and Patrick got in touch with their recruiter and Chicago’s senior tax leaders to present their idea for the book drive. The tax leadership team was supportive and gave the interns the go-ahead to launch the initiative.

“We had professionals from all levels getting involved and contributing to the book drive. We were constantly encouraged throughout the project,” shared Meredith. “Deloitte was extremely supportive of this initiative.”

A collective effort

The team collaborated with a community-based nonprofit bookstore that stocks thousands of donated books and provides literacy programs for children  and set up three book drop off points at strategic locations throughout Deloitte’s Chicago office. At each location, Deloitte professionals could bring gently used or new books to donate. Over the course of five weeks, Patrick and Meredith collected 720 books, including diverse genres and digital media such as CDs, DVDs, and games.

“Every contribution was able to be used in some way,” noted Patrick. “Items were either donated to children and families or resold to support the cause.”

The success of the project was a collective effort that not only produced positive social results for the community but provided a platform for all the Chicago tax interns to network with each other as well as Deloitte professionals and senior leaders.

“As interns, it was extremely admirable and humbling to see the enthusiasm of staff from all levels going above and beyond to help us reach our donation goal,” said Meredith.

A new chapter

Patrick and Meredith were very pleased with the overwhelming support shown by the Deloitte team, and they hope to keep the book drive going well into the future, and although they recently wrapped up their internship, this may well be the start of a new chapter in their career, having both accepted full-time opportunities at Deloitte.

About Meredith
Meredith is currently a senior at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, pursuing a degree in accounting with a concentration in finance and a minor in U.S. History. Aside from her studies, she is the president of the Global Microfinance Foundation at Notre Dame, the president of the Notre Dame German Club, a Notre Dame Football recruiting ambassador, the secretary of Saint Mary's Lady Accountants of Tomorrow Club, and a eucharistic minister at Saint Mary's. During her free time, she enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures.

About Patrick
Patrick is a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago pursuing a double-major in accounting and information decision sciences. Outside of his studies, he serves as the president of the Dean’s Business Student Advisory Board, a member of the Undergraduate Student Government, and has been elected the vice president of the Polish American Student Association for the preceding two years.