In the fall of 2023, Francisco de Bocos, a director of Penserra’s Capital Markets team, was guided by his volunteer commitment to the Oakland home of Kelvi, a precocious 8-year-old boy diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a cancerous pediatric brain tumor. While impressed with Kelvi’s high energy and good nature, Francisco was troubled by Kelvi’s living condition, namely the dearth of toys and deteriorating condition of the family home. Drawing upon his experience with other less-fortunate Hispanic families, Francisco and his colleagues started the Penserra Adopt-A-Family program, a firm-based initiative designed to improve the fortunes of Kelvi’s home environment, thus providing him with the best opportunity for recovery.
To raise funds, every one of Penserra’s employee agreed to donate to the Adopt-a-Family program, subsequently matched by the company. Penserra was able to raise over $12,000 for Kelvi and his family. Francisco met with the family during Christmas week to present Kelvi a brand-new PlayStation 5, some video games, and numerous gift cards for food. It was a truly memorable Christmas for all.
In January, Penserra coordinated with Pledge to Humanity, one of Penserra’s non-profit partners, to deliver new clothes to Kelvi and throw him a special Bluey-themed ninth birthday party. Shortly thereafter, the team at Penserra arranged for a licensed contractor to conduct a thorough home inspection of Kelvi’s house and detail a list of home improvements.
Kelvi and his family are extremely thankful and greatly appreciative of the assistance provided by Francisco, the Penserra Team, and the Adopt-a-Family program, and Penserra employees are proud to contribute to Kelvi’s well-being during this difficult time.