Stories

Each year KBR people rally together to make lasting change in their local communities. Although 2020 has created new challenges to the way we all live, work and give back, our employees took initiative this holiday season to support local causes meaningful to them in safe and COVID-friendly ways. 

KBR Australia Team Supports Local Charity Relief Efforts

For the third consecutive year, employees in Canberra, Australia, coordinated an office giving tree campaign to support St. John’s Care and their annual Christmas Appeal. St. John’s Care is a local organization which aims to bridge the gap and break the cycle of disadvantage, isolation and economic hardship with compassion, advocacy, respect and encouragement through the provision of emergency relief and other programs. Employees collected food and household items which were distributed to individuals and families in need during the holidays.

“This year has been especially tough for many families due to COVID-19 and I want to thank my colleagues for helping organize this initiative,” said Ruwandi Perera, Sr. Communications Coordinator, KBR Government Solutions APAC. “We’re proud to support organizations like St. John’s Care which does so much to support local families and those in need.”

Getting Active to Give Back in the UK

In November, KBR colleagues in the UK put on their running shoes not once, but twelve times as they successfully completed the 4 x 4 x 48 Challenge to raise more than £6000 ($7,324 USD) for local charity Combat Stress. Inspired by retired U.S. Navy Seal and ultramarathon runner David Goggins, participants ran four miles every four hours for 48 hours.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, teammates could not run in together and were forced to complete the event individually but found ways to encourage one another along the way. Other teams are also set to complete the challenge in March when restrictions allow, further increasing funds for the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health.

U.S. Employees Donate to Local Toy Drives

Employees at KBR locations across the U.S. helped make a difference in the lives of children by continuing the annual tradition of giving through local toy drives. While many of our U.S. employees continue to work remotely, they combined their efforts and resources to give children in their local communities something to smile about this holiday season.

The individual efforts of many proved worthwhile as employee-led toy drives throughout the greater Houston area helped contribute more than $7,000 in toys and funds raised to support a number of initiatives, including Toys for Tots, Houston’s Secret Santa, Texas Children’s Hospital’s Candy Cane Lane drive thru, Dickinson Police Station Blue Santa and the Houston Fire Department’s annual toy drive, Operation: Stocking Stuffer.

A special thank you to our KBR Readiness and Sustainment Solutions (R&SS) U.S. employees and Webster PCV staff for their contributions, and to Ruzanna Makaryan, Sr. Proposal Manager, and Joshua Layton, Technical Services Manager, for helping organize each respective campaign.

“Even though there was no opportunity to drop off donations in person, toys and funds poured in from Texas, Virginia, Florida and Maryland,” said Makaryan. “It was amazing to see how many people wanted to contribute despite so many challenges this year!

She continued, “This is the third year that our group actively supported KBR’s toy drives, and our fundraising each year just keeps growing!”

“Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart for your help with the Webster toy drive,” said Layton. “Each contribution is always greatly appreciated, and KBR helped make their largest toy donation so far this year. I hope everyone feels great for being involved!”

In addition, Clear Lake, TX, employees donated to the Three Wishes Toy Drive for BEAR: Be A Resource for Child Protective Services (CPS) Kids, a local nonprofit organization aimed at helping children in Harris County’s CPS system. While the team does many things year-round, they are specifically involved with BEAR’s toy drive each year during the holidays. Through this initiative, each child gets three wishes for Christmas and the Clear Lake team works to make them happen.

KBR offices in Lexington Park, MD, Oklahoma City, OK, and Charleston, SC, generously supported this year’s U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Reserves Toys for Tots campaign to help brighten up Christmas for their local children and families. The Lexington Park office has supported the charity for more than 20 years and though faced with unprecedented challenges, the team was still able to collect eleven bins of toys for local children. In Oklahoma City, KBR’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) committee also contributed to the USMC Toys for Tots campaign, delivering a sleigh load of toys for children in the local community. Employees filled two donation boxes and additional toys were purchased with cash donations.

Other charitable efforts included supporting a local adoption initiative in Warner Robins, GA, sponsoring a child through the Salvation Army “Angel Tree” program in Anniston, AL, and donating funds to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital oncology program in Oklahoma City to help give pediatric patients presents for the holidays.

We commend our employees’ efforts to help better the lives of their neighbors, especially those hit hardest by COVID-19 this year.