Accenture Teams with Back On My Feet Chicago To Provide People Experiencing Homelessness With The Skills They Need To Get A Job

Accenture Teams with Back On My Feet Chicago To Provide People Experiencing Homelessness With The Skills They Need To Get A Job

CHICAGO; May 17, 2011 — In the latest in a series of workshops, seven Back on My Feet (BoMF) members experiencing homelessness worked with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) volunteers to gain the skills they need to re-enter the workforce.

The effort is part of Accenture’s corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which will equip 250,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. During the workshop, the Accenture team coached BoMF members on resume and cover letter writing, filling out an online job application, interview tips and making career decisions. The group also staged mock interviews, complete with performance feedback. Future workshops in the series will address financial literacy and dressing for professional success.

“I was very impressed with the great attitude of the Accenture volunteers,” said John, BoMF member. “Even though my interviewer was half my age, the feedback he provided was very helpful. He pointed out specific changes to be made to my resume. Overall, it was a positive experience.”

“Accenture’s Skills to Succeed initiative combines our people’s passion, experience and commitment to nurturing talent and giving back to the community,” said Patrick Coyne, Accenture senior executive and BoMF advisory board member. “Members of Back on My Feet gain critical life skills, like goal setting, dedication and perseverance. With this effort, we hope to make a significant, lasting impact on the economic well-being of individuals by providing the tools and encouragement they need to open the doors to independence and employment.”

Established in Philadelphia in 2007, Back on My Feet launched its Chicago chapter in 2010, and partners with three area homeless facilities – Residents for Effective Shelter Transitions Interim Housing (941 West Lawrence), St. Leonard’s Ministries (2100 West Warren) and YMCA Lawson House (30 West Chicago). On May 18 BoMF will launch at its fourth facility, the Lake View YMCA (3333 N. Marshfield). Members participate in a comprehensive program that provides connections to job training, employment partnerships and housing opportunities. Those benefits are earned by maintaining 90 percent attendance at runs held three days a week at 5:45 a.m.

“Back on My Feet is committed to providing our members with the tools and resources they need to land their next job and/or take on a new professional challenge,” said Kristina Olkowski, executive director of Back on My Feet Chicago. “With the confidence, strength and self-esteem our members gain through running and the training provided by Accenture, they will be well-prepared for their next opportunity.”

Accenture is the title sponsor of The Accenture Back on My Feet Breakfast in Your Sneakers event, which celebrated the launch of the Chicago chapter. The company also engages employees in BoMF’s Chicagoland Sneaker Day and is actively involved with the six other BoMF chapters across the country.

BoMF Chicago currently has 30 members and more than 65 volunteers. Since the program launched seven months ago, 10 members have obtained employment, 16 have moved into permanent housing and 15 have entered or are preparing to embark on educational or vocational training.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 215,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. Through its Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship focus, Accenture is committed to equipping 250,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

About Back on My Feet

Back on My Feet, founded by Anne Mahlum in Philadelphia in 2007, is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency for those experiencing homeless by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem. Back on My Feet does not provide food nor does it provide shelter, but instead provides a community that embraces equality, respect, discipline, teamwork and leadership. There are no labels, no stigmas and no stereotypes. At Back on My Feet, all members – regardless of race, education or socioeconomic status – join together to move their own lives forward as well as the lives of their teammates. Back on My Feet has chapters in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Indianapolis. To learn more visit http://chicago.backonmyfeet.org/chicago-landing.html.

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Contacts:

Caitlin Storhaug

Accenture

415-537-5458

caitlin.storhaug@accenture.com

Meredith Stadel

Director of Communications and Corporate Relations

Back on My Feet Chicago

773-394-6142 (office)

312-804-2074 (mobile)

meredith@backonmyfeet.org