Shining a spotlight on Everyday Heroes

For the past four years, OCC accounting instructor Jody Padar has partnered with Ladder Up, a non-profit organization in Chicago that is helping hardworking families climb above the poverty line. Students enrolled in her Income Tax Accounting class (ACC244) apply what they learn in class by helping low-income families prepare their annual tax returns. The number of students involved in this project has grown over the years as the word has spread and this year fellow accounting instructor Janet Thullen has gotten her students involved too. All told the total number of volunteers this year stands at 90.

There is no question that these OCC students are providing a valuable service to others in the community. Last year, with 29 OCC students involved, Ladder Up estimated the economic impact of the students’ work at $239,030, mostly through the earned income tax credits that low-income families received. From the beginning of February until mid-April, students spend their Saturday mornings at sites across Chicago and the suburbs. Each volunteer typically serves about five families over the course of one session, with family receiving about $1,300 in refunds.

What do the students take away from this experience? For one, they get the satisfaction of knowing that they are making a huge difference in the lives of low-income families. Second, they get a chance to apply what they learn in the tax accounting class to the real world – not only strengthening the learning that goes on, but gaining an experience that they can put on their resumes. Finally, they get a chance to network with accountants from leading firms across the region. On any given Saturday they are likely to meet volunteers from companies like Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, J.P. Morgan Chase, or Ernst & Young. Down the road, the connections they make on these Saturday mornings could pay off in terms of their professional advancement.

Hats off to this wonderful group of everyday heroes!