Giving Back
Carver Cares
Words of wisdom and valuable life lessons are often handed down through generations. One example comes from CEO Joel Carver’s grandmother, Vivian, who was a social worker dedicated to serving those less fortunate. Her mandate to Joel was “No matter what you achieve, don’t ever forget where you came from and don’t ever forget to give back.”
Carver Cares is the response to Vivian’s challenge. As the charitable arm of The Carver Companies, Carver Cares looks beyond the companies’ associates and consultants and into communities to discover how the team can make a difference. Carver Cares focuses on these tenets daily.
The past year has been busy, and one of their primary relationships has grown with “Backpack Buddies.” This amazing organization helps to assure that “at risk” children have adequate food and essential items outside of their schools. In an amazing circle of life, Backpack Buddies is lead by Carol Williams and Dale Adams (Pictured here). Dale, who has also dedicated her life to helping the less fortunate was mentored by none other than Joel’s grandmother, Vivian. It’s a small world!
Carver Cares continues their partnerships with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The Human Rights Campaign Fund, ICEF, and In the Spirit Awards. In addition to these existing partnerships, in 2017, The Carver Companies began a strategic alliance with The Point Foundation, which empowers promising GLBT students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential.
At the end of 2017, The Carver Companies, in partnership with Joel personally, were honored to present the Pearl River Community College Development Foundation with a check to open the Harold P. and Bertha S. Carver Endowment and Smith-Carver Family Criminal Justice Scholarship. The endowment was in honor of Joel’s parents. The scholarship honors and remembers the Smith-Carver family members who have served the law enforcement community and recognizes the women and men who put their lives on the line to protect ours every day.
As Chief Development Officer Charley Carter states daily, “We don’t need to do things differently, we need to do them better.” A large part of doing things better is assuring that a percentage of every dollar of profit generated by The Carver Companies is returned to the communities they serve. Carver Cares – one more way the Carver team does things just a little better!