KBR in the Community
KBR employees have long been involved in giving back in communities around the globe. Volunteer opportunities abound at KBR offices and new ways of serving are always emerging as a result of KBR's culture of commitment and giving back in the communities in which we live and work.
In December 2015, torrential rain and floods devastated Chennai, India killing and injuring hundreds of people and ravaging the area. Chennai was declared a disaster zone and thousands of people were left homeless – including a number of KBR employees. To support our colleagues and the people in Chennai, KBR made a $10,000 donation to AID INDIA, an organization identified by KBR's Chennai office as one that directly helped people in Chennai, including the KBR employees in need. Many KBR employees around the world also made donations directly to AID INDIA.
With the help of KBR's collective donations, AID INDIA was able to deliver over 20,000 food packets and 18,000 blankets to people in 175 villages. More than 100,000 people benefitted from the relief initiative which was supported by more than 1,500 active volunteers. KBR and our employees were proud to play a role in helping the people of Chennai rebuild from this terrible disaster.
Across the world in Houston, KBR hosts a quarterly blood drive to help provide a vital resource for the 5 million Americans who will receive a blood transfusion this year. The most recent Houston office blood drive was held in April and around 100 employees typically give blood. "KBR has been a fantastic partner and supporter of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center for many years. With every donation, we can impact up to three lives and that is an invaluable contribution to the community," said Lisa Hodges, Donor Recruitment Coordinator with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, the partner organization that operates the event.
KBR firefighters at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, along with the help of the U.S. Embassy, hosted a fire safety event at their fire station for families. Children ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers met firefighters from Ecuador, Nepal, Philippines, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Kosovo, Bosnia, and the United States. The day started with a station safety talk explaining to the parents and young people the procedures to follow in the event of an actual emergency. Following the presentation, the kids were given t-shirts and fire helmets and were taken out to the engine bays and escorted in and around the fire trucks. Firefighters spoke to the kids about fire safety as they climbed and played on the trucks.
Attendees were read a fire safety story, shown an 'Elmo' fire safety video, followed by a puppet show, and a stop-drop and roll demonstration. Throughout the day questions were asked and answered by the firefighters. The day ended with a party where the children were given goodie bags that included fire-safety themed footballs, shirts, helmets, coloring books, crayons, pencils, and an array of other items.
KBR's IT team wanted to give back to the local community with colleagues so team members organized a drawing for prizes with all proceeds going to a local charity. Members of the planning committee each donated their own money for the prizes and sold tickets for the raffle. The response to this effort was overwhelming and in the end raised $1,720 from KBR IT employees. The KBR IT team donated the money raised to the Houston Food Bank.
In February, KBR had the opportunity to partner with the American Red Cross for their Home Fire Preparedness Campaign in Houston. Volunteers from the Red Cross and KBR canvased the Acres Home neighborhood in Houston sharing home fire prevention tips and installing smoke alarms in dozens of homes throughout the community.
KBR employees are proud to give back to the communities in which we live and work around the globe. Serving together, KBR employees contribute funds as well as their time and energy to complete challenging tasks in order to help those in need. We applaud all of the inspiring KBR employees and teams who volunteer, exemplifying the true spirit of One KBR.
