Community

KBJW is proud to support and participate with the Central Virginia Chapter of Engineers without Borders. Our Chapter has grown since inception including several staff members from KBJW, current engineers from Dominion Energy, retired Dominion staff, engineers from Solar Tribe, and other folks from various backgrounds.  Our chapter is currently assisting the Virginia Tech student chapter with mentorship on solar power projects for schools and orphanages in Uganda along with a wastewater treatment system design for a small village in Guatemala.  Members within our chapter are also currently working on a rainwater catchment system design for Hope Academy in Uganda.  Summer of 2019, KBJW Vice President and Owner, Brent Johnson traveled to Uganda to assist in the design of the catchment system. He also assisted in assessing the needs of the schools wastewater with plans to design an onsite wastewater disposal system in 2020.  If you have the desire to join our chapter and help out with these exciting projects, please reach out to Khalid H’Sain, General Manager or Brent Johnson for more information.  We can use people from all backgrounds and abilities.

KBJW VP and Owner, Martha Shotwell, has served on the board of Chamber RVA and chairs the Workforce Development Committee of the Henrico Cabinet. Some of our staff participate in mentoring and educational programs such as mock interviews and job-seeking coaching for high school students. For several years Martha Shotwell has participated in the InterCity visits, in which Richmond’s leaders engage in meaningful dialogue about peer cities who openly share their successes and failures.

We love being a part of Mission Tomorrow, Chamber RVA’s 2 day career exploration event where 13,000 area eighth graders visit exhibits from local businesses. The children have the opportunity to learn about different trades, skills and opportunities for future careers and employment. Our hope is to get the kids excited about some of the work we do at KBJW. Recently, we highlighted construction materials testing.

For several years, one of our favorite traditions has been to participate in the Anthem Corporate Run. Not only does it benefit the charitable organization, Fit4Kids, but it is a great way for us to join thousands of other professionals in our area for a friendly competition. Our team is typically a good mix of walkers and runners and, while we don’t take the race too seriously, it is fun to see how well we compare to our colleagues especially within our industry. The race is marketed as “the biggest work happy hour in RVA”. While we work hard at KBJW, we also love to have a great time. We are known as the KBJW Killer Bees so make sure if you see us on the course you steer clear of our stingers!

Each May before the summer approaches KBJW holds a food drive to help stock the Feed More Food Bank with items that can feed kids during the summer months. Summer is a particularly difficult time of year for our nation’s food banks. Donations always decline following the holiday season and reach a nadir during the summer months. The timing couldn’t be worse, either. Food banks also face their greatest need during the summertime. The reason? Families with children who had been receiving free or reduced-cost breakfast and/or lunch at school need to find a way to replace those meals during summer break. So they turn to their local food bank or pantry for assistance. We encourage anyone who’d like to help us with this organization to join us in our food drive in May or start one of your own!

Halloween is a beloved tradition in our nation but not everyone is able to celebrate as care free as many of us. Every October we collect candy to donate to the children of the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls.

Henrico Thanksgiving Food Box Project

Every November the KBJW staff team together to donate food for the Henrico Thanksgiving Food Box Project. This project provides food for the Thanksgiving Holiday for families and individuals receiving services through the Henrico Department of Social Services. KBJW collects food to fill a box for a family to be distributed for Thanksgiving. These food boxes provide a Thanksgiving meal that many would not be able to have otherwise. If you would like to donate please visit our offices in November or start your own box by visiting www.hearthofhenrico.org for more information.

KBJW headquarters are located in Henrico county and what better way to celebrate the holidays than giving back to folks in need in our community. Every December we decorate our office Christmas tree with donations of children and teen socks that we donate to the Henrico Christmas Mother.