Back to School Clothing Drive, Champion for Children Award - Chairman's Award: Kenneth Jacobson
The Champion for Children award recognizes individuals, corporations and foundations that have contributed to the success ofย ...
Chief Financial Officer, Avnet
Search every verified Kenneth Jacobson interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote โ each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Kenneth Jacobson, Chief Financial Officer at Avnet, was recognized with the Champion for Children Chairman's Award in 2018 for his volunteer work with the Back to School Clothing Drive. Jacobson said he became involved with the organization after it needed a treasurer, noting his background as a CPA and his desire to give back to the community. He described the organization's evolution over the past decade into a broader and more established entity with increased fundraising and programs. Jacobson stated that the Back to School Clothing Drive helps about 5,000 children each summer through its New Clothes New Beginnings event. He said that seeing pallets of clothing gave him perspective on the program's impact, and he described the shoe department as his favorite, noting that children's faces light up when receiving new shoes. Jacobson emphasized that the program helps children "level-set with their peers" so they can focus on learning, and he called for community support, describing a $100 donation as a "small ask" for the benefit provided.
“I was introduced to Back-to-School through a need the organization had for treasurer โ my background is a CPA and I wanted to give back to the community. I met with Karl over coffee and decided it would be a good fit.”
“What we've seen happen to Back-to-School over the past ten years is really evolving into a much broader and more established organization โ more significant fundraising, establishment of programs, lots of recognition.”
“We help about 5,000 kids every summer in our New Clothes New Beginnings signature event โ when you're prepping and you see pallets and pallets full of clothing you really get a better perspective on the true impact that Back-to-School has in the community.”
“My favorite department is the shoe department โ when you're giving these kids brand new shoes you can see their faces light up when they're trying them on; it's really impactful.”
The Champion for Children award recognizes individuals, corporations and foundations that have contributed to the success ofย ...
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