Epworth Children’s Home is one of four winners of The Google.org Impact Challenge Columbia, a program that aims to “rally the community around” innovative ideas that boost economic opportunity in the Columbia area.
Epworth will receive $50,000 and training from Google to support entrepreneurial internships with its older foster youth.
Epworth, the Midlands Technical College Foundation, the Richland Library, and the Riverbanks Foundation now will compete in an online public vote to determine which will be the “People’s Choice Winner,” which comes with another $50,000 award for the winner. The online public vote runs through Oct. 9, 2018.
Click here to vote.
Google recognized Epworth’s “Social Enterprise for Foster Youth” project, which 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 Co., an independent social enterprise company, the proceeds of which are donated to Epworth Children’s Home.
Rev. Holler
“The Google.org Impact Award is win-win for the children and youth at Epworth Children’s Home,” said the Rev. John Holler, president of Epworth Children’s Home. “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.”
