Archives for Community Involvement

Headed by Team Captain, Andrea Burfoot, KRA Career Agent Team Leader, and Co-Captain, Marcus Anthony, KRA Career Agent, the KRAchievers* from KRA’s Norfolk VIEW (Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare) Program raised just-shy-of $600 for the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Relay For Life campaign, which celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost, and fights back against the disease.  The KRAchievers have been active in ACS fundraising for many years, and this year have already held other successful events: a Benefit Concert in March with the band Soulon, and an Applebee’s “Dining to Donate” event in
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On April 27, 2012, Kathy Confer and Juanisha Evans, Career Agents, and Uniqua Jones, KRA customer, from the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) Program volunteered their time at the Spring Pledge and Membership Drive for WHRO* Public Television and Radio.  During the Drive, banks of telephones are answered by volunteers in the TV studio to take pledges of financial support from viewers and listeners.  Annually, there are four TV campaigns that require 33 nights of coverage, as well as two FM Radio campaigns that require 28 days and nights of coverage, all provided by volunteers.  WHRO wrapped up
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Plantersville, in Georgetown County, South Carolina, is pretty widely known for its many successful “plantations” and rice fields.  But there is another side to Plantersville; a side that is disturbing to many in the community, and is what motivated three Plantersville residents to organize the first Annual Cultural Awareness Day.  Their goal is to make the community more aware of the drug abuse, violence, and other negative elements, and to issue a “call to action” to combat these kinds of activities through available community resources and services.  Jackie Grier, Marcella Myers, and Shameka White, organized the event and solicited area
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On February 18, 2012, Christina Bartucca, KRA Deputy Program Director of the Greater Hartford CTWORKS One-Stop program, participated in the “Madison Penguin Plunge”, an event that raised money and awareness for Special Olympics Connecticut.  Bartucca…whose team of eight family members and friends raised $8,776…and more than 265 other dedicated fundraisers took the plunge into the icy waters of Hammonassett Beach State Park, raising an astounding $80,000!  On February 3, 2012, KRA staff raised $115 by holding a “Dress Down Friday”, in which each staff member who participated made a donation to support Bartucca, whose nephew has Down’s Syndrome and is
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As previously reported, on November 23, 2011, Knowlton R. Atterbeary, KRA President & CEO, officially launched the firm’s 2011 Community Care Day, a company-wide initiative created in 2009 to celebrate the joy of giving and sharing good works with customers and neighbors in the communities the firm serves. From Sunday, December 4, 2011, through Saturday, December 17, 2011, for KRA it was mission accomplished.  In a recent thank-you letter to staff, Mr. Atterbeary wrote, “From the Baltimore kick-off activities to the Norfolk wrap-up event, many deserving organizations reaped the benefits of your selfless efforts: visits with families/staff at five Ronald McDonald Houses,
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Sheena Griffin, KRA Instructor, Norfolk KRA/VIEW (Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare) program, reports, “For KRA Community Care Day, our team volunteered for winter-cleanup of the local Ronald McDonald House, and donated more than 200 items, including school supplies, toys, and nonperishable food. But, KRA Norfolk did not stop there; we believe in charitable giving year-round. So, we initiated an ongoing clothing drive for our “Get Warm 2011” campaign that, at the end of last year and into the future, benefits two important community resources that partner with KRA on behalf of our customers.” The first, The Dwelling Place, located just
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On December 14, 2011, as part of KRA’s annual company-wide Community Care Day Initiative, staff from the Prince George’s Works Tier 1 program celebrated the day by volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Washington, DC.  Well in advance of the event, Jazmyne Byrd, KRA Career Agent reported, “Donating our time to prepare dinner for the RMH families and children just isn’t enough, so we are collecting soda- and vegetable-can tabs. The RMH volunteer coordinator told us that the Ronald McDonald House Charities organization participates in a program that turns the tabs into cash!  Our staff and customers, in
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On December 16, 2011, staff and Out-of-School Youth (OSY) program students from the KRA Career Institute (KCI) Dental Assistant Training Program in New York City, participated in the company’s annual, all-volunteer Community Care Day Initiative. They celebrated the occasion by volunteering at the Yorkville Common Pantry in Manhattan, where they assisted with registering area residents; assembling pantry bags with non-perishables, fresh fruit and vegetables, and fresh poultry; and placing bags in the shopping carts the residents had brought with them. Thomas Davis, KRA Program Manager, reported, “The Yorkville Common Pantry serves over 2,000 families a month, from all five boroughs,
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On Saturday, December 17, 2011, KRA/Norfolk VIEW (Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare) program staff visited the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Norfolk bearing more than 200 donations, including school supplies, toys, and nonperishable food items. As part of KRA’s annual, company-wide  Community Care Day Initiative, the staff also donated their time and effort, volunteering for household clean-up chores.  The home is constantly filled to capacity, with 17 rooms varying in size to accommodate 3-to-5 family members.   Founded in December of 1981, and run by both paid and volunteer staff, the Norfolk RMHC is celebrating 30 years of making a
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On Saturday, December 10, 2011, staff from the KRA/CTWorks One-Stop in North Central Connecticut participated in the annual, company-wide KRA Community Care Day celebration. The East Hartford Community Shelter welcomed 10 KRA volunteers, who came fully prepared to serve a hot lunch to more than 30 residents of the shelter, including men, women, and children. In addition to flatware, plates, cups, etc., each volunteer brought a different dish: chicken, ziti, meatballs, rice, salad, soda, and pie and brownies for dessert. Among the residents were a toddler and her mother, who is also a customer of the KRA/CTWorks’ Jobs First Employment
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