Archives for Community Involvement

South Central Kentucky, where KRA operates the Youth Services Program (YSP) covering a seven-county area, is an extremely economically disadvantaged region. The economic downturn has resulted in even higher-than-usual unemployment, producing a crisis situation in the area.   During December 2010, KRA/YSP staff  and students focused their volunteer efforts on local projects in much need of community involvement and support. A Brighter Christmas: Thanks to KRA Program Manager, Linda Cooper, and Career Counselors Danelle Coomer, Donna Grant, Barb Hettmansperger, and Kristy Tarter, seven YSP students and their families enjoyed a brighter Christmas than they had anticipated. Aware that these families were unable
Read More

On August 20, 2010, KRA/CTWorks kicked off its United Way (UW) Charitable Giving Campaign with a goal of collecting $2,010 by November 30, 2010. We are pleased to report that we surpassed our goal by collecting an impressive $2,634! KRA’s innovative fundraising events included: Blue Jean Friday – $1,270 (each employee donated $5 for each Friday they intended to wear jeans); Bake Sale – $597;  Penny War – $485 (JFES vs. WIA staff to see who could collect the most pennies); UW Paper T-shirt Contest – $170 (best decorated paper T-shirt); Paper Pumpkin Contest – $72 (best decorated paper pumpkin); and
Read More

In 1942, a teacher in Henrico County, Virginia, asked her students to fill Christmas food baskets for local families in need. For the past 68 years, the Henrico Christmas Mother Program (the Program) that evolved from her charitable gesture has helped thousands of families. Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of individual, family, and corporate donors and volunteers, the Program provides new clothes, toys, books, and food to more than 5,000 eligible County residents. KRA partnered with the Program on December 17, 2010, when the team traveled to the Christmas Mother warehouse to assist with the distribution of gifts to disadvantaged/displaced families. Each staff
Read More

The KRA Career Institute’s (KCI) Dental Assistant Training Program, for Out-of-School Youth (OSY), held its Community Care Day celebration on November 20, 2010, at the KCI training campus in Harlem. More than 125 people from all five New York City boroughs participated. As the “main attraction”, KCI provided free workshops on oral health/maintenance, including demonstrations of proper brushing, flossing, and rinsing. KCI recruited nine other local agencies to provide information on dieting/nutritional counseling, blood pressure/cholesterol screening, housing assistance, college admission guidance, employment services registration, and other community services. In addition to face painting, games, and music, KCI sponsored a talent show
Read More

In celebration of KRA Community Care Day, a corporate-wide initiative, instead of hosting an event, staff members have the option of volunteering in the community to assist partner organizations and other charitable agencies. That is what the staff of the KRA Youth Employability and Success (YES) program decided to do. On November 19, 2010, YES Program Manager Mary Prince and Career Agents Regina Barth, Patricia Davis, Andree Frohmann, and Tam Drouin, volunteered at the South Strand Assembly of God Food Bank in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Helping to prepare food baskets for 400 families, the KRA team filled bags with 15 grocery items in preparation
Read More

 The KRA/CTWorks team, with the Hartford Adult Education Center, held its Community Care Day celebration on November 19, 2010.  More than 250 people, including the Honorable Mayor of Hartford, Pedro Segarra, and 25 local community agencies participated in the event. Mayor Segarra presented KRA/CTWorks with a Proclamation commemorating the event and acknowledging the importance and impact of Community Care Day, a KRA corporate-wide initiative. Other community dignitaries who witnessed the event included Dr. Christina Kishimoto, Assistant Superintendent, Hartford Board of Education, and the Executive Director of Adult Education, Dr. Tina Jeter. During the event, more than 1,000 pounds of non-perishable
Read More

Mandated by the Kentucky Education Reform Act, “Reality Town” introduces middle school students to different careers, the education and training needed for those careers, and the importance of good grades to make those careers a possibility. Most importantly, Reality Town exposes students to a “real” slice of life. Students are assigned careers based on their academics and given a salary based on that career. From their take-home pay (through which they learn the difference between “gross” and “net” income), they must buy a home and a car; purchase insurance (auto, home, health); pay for childcare, utilities, food, entertainment, and clothing…all the things
Read More

KRA accepted the Dress for Success organization’s Corporate Recognition Award, a prestigious award shared by very few prominent corporate sponsors, for a second time. “Dress for Success Hampton Roads” hosted a “Suits & Salad Luncheon” during which it acknowledged KRA for its support. Dress for Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire and access to a network of resources, support, and other tools for career development success.
Read More

KRA staff volunteered to participate in a Youth Leadership Conference by serving on the planning committee, and by attending the event. The Conference was held to empower youth in the community by exposing them and their parents to educational and career opportunities. An important facet of the volunteer effort was that staff took program youth with them to the Conference and actively engaged them in all aspects of Conference activities.
Read More

KRA staff participated in an all-staff volunteer day with the Equi-Kids Therapeutic Riding Program, a non-profit organization that offers horseback riding lessons to kids with mental and/or physical disabilities.
Read More