Toy Drive Wraps up KBE Outreach Initiative

One year ago, KBE Building Corporation launched a new community outreach initiative to lend a helping hand to people and organizations in the communities where the firm works or its staff lives. This dynamic philanthropic endeavor, called “50 Ways to Make a Difference,” is a year-long charitable support program in celebration of the company’s 50th year in business. The goal was to identify at least 50 philanthropic projects that support children, education, and seniors in communities in both Connecticut and Maryland.

Connecticut – One year ago, KBE Building Corporation launched a new community outreach initiative to lend a helping hand to people and organizations in the communities where the firm works or its staff lives. This dynamic philanthropic endeavor, called “50 Ways to Make a Difference,” is a year-long charitable support program in celebration of the company’s 50th year in business. The goal was to identify at least 50 philanthropic projects that support children, education, and seniors in communities in both Connecticut and Maryland.

Founded in 1959, KBE Building Corporation is a commercial construction services firm regionally located in Farmington, Conn. and Columbia, Md. Since its early days as part of the Konover companies, the organization has contributed significant dollars in financial and in-kind support of local charitable causes and civic organizations, a legacy from the firm’s founder and well-known philanthropist, Simon Konover.

Today, KBE and its employees continue to actively participate in grassroots initiatives and work with other organizations to support causes that enhance the quality of life in our communities. The 50 Ways program is defined by that philanthropic spirit.

KBE literally and figuratively put a bow on the “50 Ways to Make a Difference” initiative by launching a statewide toy drive project to benefit needy families during the holidays. The project, called “Building a Brighter Holiday” was the 50th and final project.

Through Building a Brighter Holiday,” KBE invited its business partners in the construction industry – clients, trade contractors, consultants, and vendors – to donate to the toy drive. KBE’s staff purchased toys and other gift items for families in need in Connecticut and Maryland. The donations benefited agencies such as the Salvation Army, Developing Families Center and Goodwill Industries who worked with their clients to develop wish lists. Once the lists had been collected the “Building a Brighter Holiday” teams went out and shopped for the items. The companies purchased and distributed more than 1,000 toys and other gift items.

“We were so excited to hear that KBE had included our school as part of this outreach project,” said Shandra Brown, principal of J.C. Clark Elementary School in Hartford, Conn. “KBE’s generosity will certainly help make the holidays a little brighter for our students.”

Anne Danaher, executive director of the Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford added, “The children we targeted for this project were mostly from single parent families who are struggling to meet their basic needs. Without KBE’s assistance these kids may not have received any gifts this holiday season.”

In addition to supporting Jewish Family Services, Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army, KBE also supported students at J.C. Clark and Fred D. Wish elementary schools, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Toys for Tots of Southern Connecticut, the Prudence Crandall Center, the Town of Farmington Community Services, The Cove Center for Grieving Children, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Oak Hill and Wellpath Behavioral Health for Families and Children.

KBE’s Maryland operations adopted 20 families through organizations that included the Developing Families Center in Washington, D.C.; the House of Ruth in Baltimore; Community Action Council of Howard County; Neighbor Network in Dayton, Md.; and the Howard County Service Center of the Salvation Army.

“KBE Building Corporation, with the help of our friends in the construction industry, wanted to do all we could to ensure as many kids as possible had a happy holiday this year,” said Mike Kolakowski, KBE President and CEO. “We understood the need in our communities was greater this year than in the past which is why we set our sites on raising enough money to address that need. This was the best way imaginable to wrap up our 50th Anniversary celebration initiative.”

To launch the 50 Ways program, KBE invited leaders in every Connecticut city and town to submit an application for a grant and/or donation of services. Grants averaged $1500 in value, and donation of services included everything from estimating and preconstruction planning services to hands-on labor for minor construction projects. Similar efforts were undertaken in the firm’s Columbia, Md. office, though on a smaller scale. The program’s focus was on supporting children and seniors.

KBE’s approach in developing the program was to provide benefits to as many communities as possible, and help fund smaller but meaningful projects that are typically abandoned during tough economic times. More than 100 grant applications were submitted, and an in-house committee was given the difficult task of selecting award recipients. Forty-eight community projects were chosen – 40 in Connecticut and eight in Maryland. The 49th project, KBE’s “Gift of Gobble – Thanksgiving’s On Us” provided Thanksgiving meals to more than 140 families in Connecticut and Maryland. More information on the program can be found at  www.kbebuilding.com/50ways_overview.aspx