Farmington, CT – What began as a philanthropic endeavor to help celebrate its 50th year in business has now become a part of the culture at KBE Building Corporation. The award-winning initiative, 50 Ways to Make a Difference, is now an annual, yearlong community outreach program that supports communities where the firm’s employees work and live. 2012 will be the third year of the program, which has an emphasis on fighting hunger and supporting programs that benefit seniors.
In 2011, KBE and its employees donated more than $22,000 to local organizations. These funds were generated from three sources: 1) company donations, 2) employees’ loose change from their Change Makes a Difference initiative, and 3) employees’ “fees” for participating in Jeans Fridays, when they can wear jeans to work in exchange for a donation of $2.
All employee donations were matched by KBE’s owners Mike Kolakowski, Eric Brown, and Simon Etzel, and donated to a local homeless shelter or food pantry.
50 Ways to Make a Difference was expanded in 2011 to include not only monetary donations, but also greater hands-on participation from the firm’s 125 employees, who established a 1,200-hour volunteer goal. The volunteer hours initiative was so successful that the employees shattered their goal, logging more than 2,200 hours of community service.
KBE Continues 50 Ways Program
Farmington, CT – What began as a philanthropic endeavor to help celebrate its 50th year in business has now become a part of the culture at KBE Building Corporation.