Epworth Children’s Home is one of four winners of Google.org’s Impact Challenge Columbia. As a winner, Epworth will receive $50,000 and training from Google to support entrepreneurial internships with its older foster youth. The four finalists now will compete in a public vote to determine who will be the People’s Choice Winner to double the monetary award. A public vote, starting Tuesday, October 2, 2018, through Tuesday October 9, 2018, at g.co/columbiachallenge will determine which of the four finalists will be the People’s Choice Winner and receive an additional $50,000.
Google selected Epworth’s project, Social Enterprise for Foster Youth, for its bold idea to create economic opportunity in the Columbia area. The project will provide paid entrepreneurial internships to former foster youth who have “aged out” of foster care and are enrolled in Epworth’s Center for Independent Living. The paid interns will receive first-hand experience by creating and executing entrepreneurial business initiatives with the Epworth Ice Cream Company, an independent social enterprise company where all of its proceeds are donated to Epworth Children’s Home.
“The Google.org Impact Award is win-win for the children and youth at Epworth Children’s Home,” says John Holler, President of Epworth. “Not only will our older youth receive valuable, real world experience through a paid internship, but the social enterprise projects they create will directly provide funding to transform the lives of the younger children in other programs at Epworth. With the public’s support and vote we can double this impact and change more lives in our community.”
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About Epworth: Epworth Children’s Home serves children, youth and families all of South Carolina. In addition to traditional residential programs, Epworth provides foster families, early childhood intervention, family care and preservation, and independent living programs. Founded in 1896, Epworth provides childcare, counseling and related services without regard to race, religion, national origin or ability to pay.
