We're committed... We're committed... We're committed...

I’ve always wanted to do work that really matters. Work that makes a difference. And this was my chance to be a part of something bigger, helping develop and implement a strategy to support our clients as they faced a real threat to their businesses.

I’ll never forget one of the first clients I collaborated with: a Quebec-based retailer with a strong regional presence. The COVID restrictions had forced them to close their doors, but they’d already made significant inventory commitments. So, we worked with them to help them tap into government relief programs when they needed it most. I felt so proud to play a role in helping them weather the storm—and hopefully come out stronger on the other side.

We’re invested.

Our Montreal office launched a COVID task force in March 2020 to help small and medium businesses in Quebec. This taskforce was one of several across the country working tirelessly to support businesses across Canada navigate the crisis.

We have been there at every step to help businesses redesign operating models, adapt to remote working, secure government funding, and much more. We believe local businesses are foundational—and the future—of our communities. And we continue to do all we can to help them not only survive, but thrive.

There was one woman I helped that I will never forget. As I did her intake, she told me about her approach to financial management; food for her kids comes first, always. But on this day, she had to sacrifice her meals to fill up her car with gas to make the 140-km trip to the tax clinic. I remember the feeling of those sacrifices. I remember worrying if my family and I would be ok when we first arrived here. But day by day, we made our way. Now this community is our extended family, and I want to give back. I want to use my skills and talents for the betterment of my community.

We’re invested.

In 2019, KPMG in Canada and Food Banks Canada began piloting volunteer tax clinics. The initiative is part of the Canada Revenue Agency’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP). For many foodbank users, this is an important service as their access to government funding depends on them correctly filing their taxes.

The KPMG team is committed to continuing this work, helping build processes and develop technologies to speed up the tax filing process, improve financial literacy, and volunteer time to help food bank users file their tax returns—and we count on our team members like ‘Dele who make it happen.

In 2020, through this pilot program, volunteers from KPMG and the community filed tax returns supporting 1,964 people. Since then, KPMG and Food Banks Canada have continued to collaborate to build a virtual tax clinic solution to expand the support across the country. With plans to expand the program to other regions in 2021, we look forward to helping lift more Canadians out of poverty.

I have asked myself what it was about this particular work that felt so meaningful to me. I realized that my own experience with healthcare workers, and the deep respect and appreciation I have for them, stirred something in me. This vital work that we’re doing is the most meaningful I’ve been involved with in my 25 years at KPMG. It’s reaffirmed for me the importance of coming together in the community, for the community. It felt like a way to repay the doctors and nurses who helped me so much and has given me a sense that I’ve done right by my parents.

We’re invested.

When COVID first hit Canada, our professionals came together to help healthcare workers, companies, communities and individuals to address the healthcare needs brought on by the pandemic. This evolved into a wide range of projects which have allowed our teams to put their skills and experience to use, supporting our frontline workers to saves lives during the pandemic.

These challenging times have tested all of us, and they’ve confirmed our values and priorities. We live, play and work in the North, and our roots run deep.

We’re invested.

Our KPMG professionals and teams are woven into the fabric of the communities they serve across Canada, from Victoria to St. John’s, and everywhere in between. With over 40 locations and 8,000 individuals making up our team across the country, we serve clients in 2,200 communities from coast to coast.

I am honoured to have been a recipient of a KPMG Impact award this year for my work with BB4CK. I feel fortunate to work for an organization that not only supports, but encourages and enables its people’s efforts in supporting local communities. I’ve always been a giver, and I am proud to work for an organization that shares my values.

Full stomachs, full hearts and whole communities are ongoing goals that I plan to pursue for the long haul. Because I believe students should only be hungry to learn—not for their next meal.

We’re invested.

At KPMG, we believe in supporting our people, at and outside of work. We are passionate about supporting our local communities and encourage and recognize the employees that live these values every day. Amy’s ability to activate both her personal and professional network to source volunteers and donations is the type of ingenuity that makes us all proud. Amy’s dedication is inspiring to her team and KPMG as a whole.

Working as part of a team, I helped create a digital solution to provide grocery cards to children in underserved communities, so that parents could supplement their budgets and buy meals for their kids who were now learning at home. When we piloted the program, TFSS thought that they would have enough funds to deliver about 3,500 grocery cards. The program quickly evolved into something bigger, and between spring and summer of 2020, $5.7 million in grocery cards were delivered to children in need.

When we hit the 4,000 card mark, I turned on the evening news and saw a student’s drawing with the message “Thank you, snack people.” That was the moment I realized the impact we were having on our communities. In a way, despite the isolation we’ve all faced, this experience has made me feel closer to the world and my community, more than ever before. I got involved to give back, but I came away with a new purpose - to focus my professional work on making an impact.

We’re invested.

What started as a volunteer initiative at KPMG to help children who depended on meals at school quickly grew into something much bigger. Through the digital platform we developed with TFSS, we were able to help facilitate providing 3.3 million breakfasts to 110,000 students from 600 schools across Toronto. And we’re now expanding the use of the platform to similar programs in other provinces and continue our support. For us, this project highlights the power of technology and of people working together to build a better future.

The culture at KPMG is rooted in performance but it’s about doing it in service of people, clients and communities. That’s what I witnessed while working on Accounting for Bravery. It felt so good to use my experience and skillset to give back to those who were giving so much of themselves. And I must give a shout out to all my teammates in this initiative and all the healthcare workers who’ve contributed to our community. Thank you—your kindness was an inspiration.

We’re invested.

At the height of the crisis, KPMG in Canada was proud to support CPA Ontario’s Accounting for Bravery initiative. The program covered tax returns for healthcare workers including nurses, doctors, lab technicians, hospital cleaners and others, as well as their spouses and dependants. It was so heartening to see so many of our employees step up to help shoulder the load for our frontline heroes during such a hectic and challenging time in their lives.