Stories

KBR employees go to great lengths to come together and collectively make a significant impact in their local communities, especially during the holiday season. From KBR offices in Houston, Chennai and everywhere in between, employees contributed funds as well as their time and energy to help make meaningful differences in the lives of others.

KBR ITC Employees Working for a Social Cause

Over the last few months, employees at KBR’s India Technology Center in Gurgaon, India have been engaged in supporting the less fortunate in multiple ways. Young professionals in the office’s IMPACT chapter partnered with Underprivileged Advancement by Youth (UPAY), a non-governmental organization that works toward the provision of quality education to underprivileged children in India. The chapter raised funds and donated clothes and school supplies for children in need. Members also committed to spending one hour at schools to provide basic education and lessons to students.

“The beauty of KBR lies in its people, said Prachi Priya, Principal Technical Professional. “It is heartwarming to see how KBR employees are always ready to reach out and help the community.”

ASPIRE Chapters Collect Food and Clothing for Those in Need

In addition to cultivating female leaders and promoting gender diversity throughout KBR, ASPIRE chapters around the world encourage their members to give back to their local communities. The ASPIRE chapters in Houston, TX and Columbia MD did just that by collecting food and clothing items benefitting local charities.

The second-annual ASPIRE Houston Clothing Drive supported Dress for Success Houston and Career Gear Greater Houston, both of which help men and women achieve financial stability by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools. Members donated handbags, dress shirts and shoes, ties, cufflinks and other miscellaneous clothing items to help job applicants make that strong first impression. Meanwhile, ASPIRE Maryland collected and donated canned goods for those without meals to eat this holiday season.

"These organizations align with ASPIRE's mission and goals, particularly in giving people support in jump-starting or continuing to develop their careers," said Natalie Smith, Sr. Manager (HR), Workforce Development and ASPIRE Houston chair. "The ASPIRE membership and KBR employees overall were once again generous this year, providing several carloads of items, and contributions from Amazon and Dress for Success in Houston."

KBR Employees Continue to Give Back to Jacksonville Community

For more than 18 years, KBR employees in Jacksonville, FL have maintained an active Community Relations Committee (CRC) dedicated to serving the Clay County area through a number of initiatives and fundraisers for local charitable organizations. This year, the CRC, led by committee president Rob Hastings, provided Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for 350 families in need, delivering 100 turkeys, 400 pounds of potatoes, 200 pounds of onions, 100 cans of corn, green beans and cranberry sauce and 100 boxes of stuffing.

The CRC also supports the Clay County Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. Each year, the Salvation Army places Christmas trees in local retail outlets with angel ornaments that represent children in need during the holiday season. This year, the group plans to adopt 50 Angels from the trees and employee volunteers will buy gifts that will provide smiles on the faces of 50 children this Christmas. The CRC continues to be a positive force for good in the Clay County area.

“This year our CRC office program raised more than $7,000 that will go back into supporting the community and those in need," said Hastings, Analyst, KBR Government Solutions – US. “Each year these activities and initiatives provide for some amazing memories and fun experiences for our team. Why not have some fun when contributing to causes so worthwhile?”

Employees Support Local Toy Drives

Employees at KBR's headquarters in Houston, TX once again supported the Houston Fire Department’s annual toy drive, Operation: Stocking Stuffer. Throughout the holiday season, employees donated new, unwrapped toys for children from infant to age 18 in decorated collection boxes throughout the KBR Tower. The company also purchased $15,000 worth of toys that were added to the aggregate collection.

Operation: Stocking Stuffer received additional support from young professionals in Houston’s IMPACT chapter through their annual Casino Night. In order to play at the event, attendees were asked to bring either an unwrapped toy or $20 to donate to the toy drive.

“KBR is honored to be a part of Operation: Stocking Stuffer and to touch thousands of lives throughout Houston,” said Philip Ivy, KBR Vice President, Global Communications & Marketing. “Thank you to the men and women of the Houston Fire Department who put on yet another fantastic toy drive and to our employees who never fail to make this event a great success.”

Other KBR offices around the world also made an impact in their communities by supporting local donation drives. In the UK, KBR served as a sponsor for the Metropolitan Police’s annual Met Christmas Tree project, which ensures that thousands of children across London receive presents this year. In Bahrain, KBR personnel from the BOSS project at Isa Air Base partnered with a local church to donate holiday toys and clothes for immigrant families working in Bahrain. Lastly, several Government Solutions offices throughout the US including Lexington Park and Columbia, MD, Clear Lake, TX, Morrisville and Raleigh, NC, and Oklahoma City, OK participated in local toy drives, collecting hundreds of toys, bikes, scooters and so much more for charities they identified. A special thanks to all employees for taking part in these outstanding initiatives.

Clear Lake Teams Provides Aid to the Homeless During the Holidays

At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake, TX employees held their Baggies of Hope Winter Drive that supported Star of Hope, a philanthropy organization dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless men, women and children and promoting spiritual growth, life management and recovery services through structured programs. Employees gathered with their families, friends and coworkers to fill gallon-sized zip-lock bags with urgent need items for the homeless. Donation items included blankets, toiletries and personal care products, clothing items, band-aids, snacks, water, and eating utensils. At the conclusion of the collection drive, the Clear Lake team donated approximately 300 gallon-sized bags and 45 blankets to Star of Hope.

“Everyone who participated in this drive is passionate about helping the less fortunate, especially during this time of year when the weather turns colder,” said Chris Coble, NASA Epidemiologist. “Giving back to the community and trying to spread some warmth and smiles to those in need is really what we were trying to do by putting together these bags.”

Other holiday charitable efforts by KBR employees include a blood drive in Oklahoma City, OK providing breakfast at Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore, MD and donations to a local hospital in Canberra, Australia to fund research in the fight against pediatric cancer. We thank our employees for their outstanding efforts and their firm commitments to improving the lives of those in need in our communities.