Jacqueline Green and her partner ask for donations as wedding gift

Jacqueline Green has been a long-time Summer Search supporter, a champion of corporate responsibility, and a key member of the Summer Search Bay Area Board of Directors. When she and her partner David Newman got married three years ago, they asked their guests to join them in supporting Summer Search by making a donation, in lieu of wedding gifts.

“When we thought about what was most important to us in bringing our family and friends together for our wedding, Summer Search just had to be included.”

“We wanted our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple, bringing together different aspects of our values and beliefs, and how important Summer Search has been to us,” Jacqueline explained. “This was a way to invite our guests to be a part of something bigger than just the day. Their gift would make a lasting impact.”

As a nonprofit, it’s exciting to see this growing trend of couples forgoing traditional wedding registries in favor of donations to their favorite organizations.

But Summer Search isn’t just a favorite of this couple, it’s a huge part of their relationship. For Jacqueline, her love for Summer Search began more than seven years ago. As the Director of Corporate Responsibility at PwC at the time, she led a week-long leadership workshop for students from several programs and organizations, including Summer Search. “The Summer Searchers really stood out,” she said. Since then, Jacqueline has been a volunteering champion, working as a Career Coach, attending and supporting events, joining the Summer Search Bay Area Board, and forming strong relationships with many students.

She also introduced Dave to Summer Search, who has in turn become a generous supporter and informal mentor, both on his own and through PwC. Dave’s involvement and passion for Summer Search means a lot to Jacqueline, and even helped deepen their love and partnership. “It might sound cliché, but I found myself falling more in love with him watching him develop personal relationships with the students,” she admitted.

One such connection is with student De’Ahevon “Dee” Johnson (who you might remember as one of the participants in our first ever podcast!).

As Jacqueline proudly explained, “Dave and I met Dee at a Summer Search Gala in 2015 and have developed a long-standing, mentoring relationship with her. Recently, we helped refer Dee to Year Up (a nonprofit training and internship placement program), which she is starting at the end of this month!”

We’re so grateful for the generous support from people like Jacqueline and Dave, and we’re honored that Summer Search was able to be a small part of the day they tied the knot.