National Volunteer of the Year Award

The National Volunteer of the Year Award is the culmination of the Volunteer Recognition Program. This award recognizes one individual selected from among our Volunteers of the Year for his/her outstanding achievements in the community and for upholding our PwC values. As a result of being named National Volunteer of the Year, PwC presents the recipient’s charity with a $10,000 award.

2012 National Volunteer of the Year

PwC honoured Jaclyn Demianyk for her outstanding volunteer efforts as treasurer for Camp Kakepitay, a camp built by members of the Deaf community and run by the Winnipeg Church of the Deaf.

Jaclyn Demianyk
Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Winnipeg Church of the Deaf - Camp Kakepitay

For over five years, Jaclyn has volunteered as treasurer on the board of directors for Camp Kakepitay, a camp built by members of the Deaf community. As treasurer, Jaclyn uses her accounting skills to manage the camp’s donations and frequently volunteers at fundraising events.

Volunteering as a treasurer for Camp Kakepitay helps Jaclyn exercise her integrity, responsibility and organizational skills. Integrity and trust are very important in the field of accounting and auditing, and the role as treasurer has built her trust among board members. The responsibilities of a treasurer and the issues that Jaclyn has dealt with are extremely relevant and helpful for her classes at MPAcc, pursuing her CA designation, and her work at PwC.

As a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) growing up in the Deaf community, volunteering on the Camp Kakepitay Board has allowed Jaclyn to give back to the community that has supported her throughout her childhood. She is grateful that she can contribute her skills and knowledge of accounting to something that is valuable to her family and to the Deaf community.

“Jaclyn has been a great asset to have on our Church Camp Board Camp Kakepitay,” says David Burke, Chairperson of the Winnipeg Church of the Deaf. “Her passion, expertise, and enthusiasm have led her to volunteer, specifically in taking care of the financial work for our team. She has greatly helped us with our ongoing work for the Deaf community at large and has also helped us to adapt to new technologies bringing new life to our non-profit organization.”

2011 National Volunteer of the Year

Ana Surio
Quebec City, Quebec
Restoration Church of Quebec

PwC named Ana Surio the 2011 National Volunteer of the Year and presented $10,000 to her charity partner, the Restoration Church of Quebec. PwC honoured Ana, a member of the Tax Services practice in PwC’s Quebec City office, for her outstanding volunteer efforts as a board member for the church, and a mentor to families impacted by domestic violence, divorce or in need of financial advice or support.

For more than 15 years, Ana has dedicated thousands of hours of her time leading programs including Women of Virtue, an annual conference supporting women’s roles in our society, and Young in Action, a youth-based music program. She has also lent her skills to help strengthen the charity’s fundraising and operational plans to ensure these social programs can be delivered to everyone in need.

When asked about Ana’s accomplishments, Byron Quevedo, from the Restoration Church of Quebec, responded: “Ana is a cornerstone of our past achievements, our present projects and our future dreams for immigrant families. Because of her outstanding qualities and her natural leadership in organizational planning and direction, she has been a valuable asset to our team.”

To learn more about the programs for family and women at Restoration Church of Quebec, please visit www.irqc.net.

2010 National Volunteer of the Year

Zaya Kadyrova
Vancouver, British Columbia
Education Generation

PwC named Zaya Kadyrova the 2010 National Volunteer of the Year and presented a $10,000 donation to her charity partner, Education Generation. PwC honoured Zaya, a member of the Advisory practice in PwC’s Vancouver office, for her outstanding volunteer efforts as a member of the founding team and executive committee of Education Generation. Education Generation is an online community that supports high potential young leaders in the developing world with educational scholarships and is based on the innovative ideas of crowd-sourcing and the use of technology to effect lasting social change.

Since the organization’s launch in 2008, Zaya has acted as Director of Strategy and Finance and has been strategically involved in all aspects of the organization. Her volunteer experiences include working as part of the daily operations team, targeting volunteer recruits and managing their work, liaising and negotiating with partners and advisors, organizing fundraising functions and public speaking at conferences and events.

When asked about Zaya’s accomplishments, Shawn Smith, co-founder of Education Generation responded: “Zaya has an unquestionable passion and commitment to social issues, and her hard work and dedication distinguished her noticeably from the many other young professionals volunteering with our team. Over the years, I have witnessed Zaya emerge as a decisive, confident and effective leader in our organization.”

To learn more about Education Generation or to make a donation, visit www.educationgeneration.org.

2009 National Volunteer of the Year

Adam Nihmey
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prosperity™ Long-Term Care Fund

PricewaterhouseCoopers named Adam Nihmey the 2009 National Volunteer of the Year and presented a $10,000 donation to his charity, The Prosperity™ Long-Term Care Fund. PwC honoured Adam, an Advisory Services director in PwC’s Ottawa office, for his outstanding volunteer efforts as founder and president of the Prosperity™ Fund, an additional source of funding for Ottawa’s not-for-profit compassionate care system to improve quality of care of seniors in non-profit long-term care homes and in the community.

Since founding the Prosperity™ Fund in 2008, Adam volunteered more than 1,500 hours with the charity including fundraising, creating an appreciation award to recognize local volunteer caregivers and organizing volunteer activities for students in long-term care homes. As a result of the Prosperity™ Fund’s fundraising efforts, Adam helped raise more than $200,000 through corporate and individual donations.

“Adam has continually demonstrated a strong commitment and perseverance towards this cause,” said Penny Collenette, adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law and executive in residence at the Telfer School of Management, and Prosperity Fund™ Advisory Council member. “His passionate leadership, teamwork and professionalism have impressed all of those involved with the Prosperity™ Fund as well as the community he serves. Through hard work and determination, he has brought his vision for the Prosperity™ Fund to life and is making a real impact to help meet the demand for long-term care in Ottawa.”

To learn more about the Prosperity™ Fund or to make a donation, visit www.prosperityfund.ca.

2008 National Volunteer of the Year

Gerry Valois
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canodia

PricewaterhouseCoopers honoured Gerry Valois with a $10,000 donation for his dedication and enthusiasm as the founder and director of Canodia, a charitable fund. Since Canodia's start in August 2007, the Winnipeg-based Advisory Services director has volunteered more than 1,000 hours to help disadvantaged children in Cambodia and teach the value of philanthropy to children in Canada.

Canodia works with the Center for Children's Happiness (CCH), an orphanage in Cambodia, to raise funds and rescue children who live at the Steung Meanchey landfill site. Gerry established Canodia after spending three months in Southeast Asia and observing children living and working in the garbage dump to house and feed their families. He has helped raise more than $100,000 to rent a facility for children from the landfill and obtain property in Cambodia to build a permanent youth home for almost 50 youngsters, which will open in 2009. He has also developed a child sponsorship program in Canada, which moves children out of the dump with the support of Canadian donors.

Gerry's support and efforts extend to all aspects of Canodia-he is the fundraiser, web manager and youth ambassador. He uses his business skills to assist the orphanage with helping the most children possible to create lasting change in their lives. Gerry also visits schools in Canada and Cambodia to mentor and teach youth about the importance of compassion and generosity.

His personal drive and dedication have not only been central to the organization's success, they also make him a true role model both within PwC and his community. "Many dedicated and good-hearted people raise money for our orphanage throughout the world, and Gerry has certainly done his share of that," says Elia Van Tuyl, a CCH donor liaison. "But he has also brought to his efforts a combination of vision, sophistication and humanity that I have just never witnessed before."

To learn more about Canodia, visit www.canodia.ca.

2007 National Volunteer of the Year

Morgan Elliot
Edmonton, Alberta
Association for Supported Community Connections

Three years ago, Morgan Elliot and his family founded the Association for Supported Community Connections (ASCC) — an organization that gives kids with mental or physical disabilities the opportunity to get out and be active. The ASCC was established to honour the memory of Morgan’s older brother, who passed away as a result of Spina Bifida.

As a board member and treasurer, Morgan provides financial advice and assistance for numerous areas of the ASCC: he designs and maintains its accounting ledgers, prepares financial statements and government-required filings, compiles and monitors budgets and forecasts, and maintains the management of the treasury. He’s also active in organizing and managing fundraising activities and submits numerous applications for grants.

“Morgan’s personal drive and dedication has enabled ASCC to achieve excellence in all that we do,” says Mary Feather, executive director of ASCC. “Morgan’s commitment to the transparency and leadership of ASCC has been a leading factor in its success.”

Morgan’s efforts are helping ASCC improve the lives of even more children: in the last year, the organization grew from serving approximately 25 kids with disabilities to well over 70.

2006 National Volunteer of the Year

Scott Fitzsimmons
Vancouver, Bristish Columbia
Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver

Scott Fitzsimmons, a director in PwC’s Vancouver office, was named 2006 National Volunteer of Year for his 22 years of extraordinary volunteer service to Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.

Scott began volunteering with Big Brothers in 1985 and mentored a Little Brother named Adam for over a decade. Ten years after becoming a Big Brother, Scott joined its board, and shortly thereafter became involved in the Public Relations committee. He now serves as Board Chair, and under his leadership, Big Brothers has nearly doubled the number of children served each year while simultaneously reducing its costs.

In addition to volunteering with Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, Scott has also dedicated time and expertise while serving on the Boards of the Pot Luck Café Society, Big Brothers Foundation and the Downtown Youth Activities Society. This past year alone, Scott volunteered a total of 200 hours for these organizations.

2005 National Volunteer of the Year

Adam Barnard
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
Wilfred Laurier Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) Program

Kitchener-Waterloo’s Adam Barnard was named PwC’s 2005 National Volunteer of Year for his work with the Wilfred Laurier Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) Program. The program was given a $10,000 award in recognition of his outstanding volunteerism.

ACE is an organization that fosters entrepreneurship though educational outreach and entrepreneurial initiatives on campuses across Canada. Adam was one of the founders of the Wilfred Laurier ACE where he subsequently served as vice-president and president. During his five years of involvement with ACE, Adam has pioneered projects domestically and internationally to serve communities in need.

Among these projects was a home building program that Adam developed where less fortunate homeless Brazilian citizens were provided resources, taught how to build their homes and were provided the basic education and skills necessary to enter the workforce. In his current role, Adam guides university students in similar outreach endeavors to provide greater economic opportunity for themselves and others.