BB&T volunteers celebrate a mission accomplished with Farm Director, Adam Keener, Senior Advancement Officer, Brandon Cathey and Director of Community Outreach, Kimberly King.
BB&T’s Lighthouse Project provides financial support and manpower to the community by giving BB&T employees the opportunity to nominate, vote on, and ultimately volunteer with local charities. Since the launch of the program in 2009, BB&T associates have contributed more than 475,000 volunteer hours. This year Crossnore’s Winston-Salem campus was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of three Lighthouse Project teams! In this series we highlight each of the teams and showcase the incredible work they’ve done on the campus*.
Team #1
The Wealth Lender Support group, lead by Tripp Gallup, provided landscaping for the farm store and improvements to the farm classroom.
Crossnore: Why did your team elect to volunteer with Crossnore?
Tripp Gallup (T.G.): One of the unique aspects of the BB&T Lighthouse Project is the opportunity for associates to roll up their sleeves and put some serious “sweat equity” into the effort. We all believe Crossnore School & Children’s Home to be an extremely worthwhile endeavor and we felt our work on the farm would have a lasting impact on the school and the community.
Crossnore: Can you describe your project for us?
T.G.: My department worked on three projects in hopes of helping Crossnore School & Children’s Home live out its vision for success: farm landscaping, farm classroom remodeling, and cold storage building.
Crossnore School & Children’s Home is a hidden gem in our community.
Crossnore: What were your hopes for these projects?
T.G.: We hoped to help the Farm Director, Adam Keener, turn these parts of campus into centers of educational growth and community outreach. We truly hope the work has exceeded expectations and created an exceptional environment for the school to continue its mission.
Crossnore: What was the timeframe for these projects?
T.G.: We worked on the landscaping from May 1st – 4th, the classroom was done from May 8th – 11th, and the cold storage was completed in early June.
Crossnore: What surprised you the most about Crossnore and your Lighthouse projects?
T.G.: Crossnore School & Children’s Home is a hidden gem in our community. So many BB&T associates had never been to the school and it is easy to have an immediate connection when visiting the farm for the first time. It is truly a special place in the heart of Winston-Salem with a wonderful mission.
*Interviews have been edited for clarity.
To read Part II, click here.
