Following their 2021 Annual Ladies Golf Outing event earlier this month, the JFK Rotary Club joined honoree Kimberly Hardy, M/WBE director for the New Terminal One at JFK Airport, to present a check for $5,000 to the South Jamaica-based LIFE Camp.
As a leading nonprofit serving youth and their families in Queens and New York City, LIFE Camp will use the charitable donation to support violence intervention, job development and employment training opportunities.
“On behalf of our entire team at LIFE Camp, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Kimberly Hardy for selecting our organization to receive today’s donation,” LIFE Camp Founder Erica Ford said. “Building a safer, stronger community requires the support and recognition of partner organizations, and we look forward to leveraging these funds to further our essential work.”
Founded in 2002, LIFE Camp is one of the nation’s leading violence prevention and intervention organizations which develops young leaders and provides youth and families with positive alternatives to violence, bullying and other forms of antisocial behavior.
LIFE Camp offers young people, ages 13 to 24, and their families educational, employment and social opportunities they might not otherwise have at the core of their program.
“I’m proud to join the JFK Rotary club and local community leaders in presenting this donation to LIFE Camp,” Hardy said. “Erica Ford and her inspiring team at LIFE Camp provide critical community services to southeast Queens, helping youth prevent and heal from violence and transform communities.”
Hardy was selected as JFK Rotary Club’s 2021 honoree because she ensures diversity and inclusion remain top priorities for the New Terminal One at JFK.
“Kimberly Hardy’s commitment to supporting and amplifying inclusive environments for M/WBE businesses to thrive and grow has made a noticeable impact in southeast Queens and the surrounding neighborhoods,” JFK Rotary Club President Nancy Vargas said. “The JFK Rotary Club is excited to see her work extend to the youth in our community through this donation to LIFE Camp, an important social impact-driven organization that is propelling our neighborhood forward.”
Hardy and her team work toward improving diversity metrics in all aspects of the project, including design, construction, finance, operations and more.
“Ms. Hardy’s work to further diversity and inclusion on the New Terminal One project at JFK is truly admirable,” Councilwoman Selvena Powers-Brooks said. “I’m honored to join her today to celebrate and support LIFE Camp in their mission to improve the lives of youth and families across southeast Queens and the country.”
The New Terminal One at JFK is a new world-class international terminal to be built on the sites of the current Terminal One, Terminal 2 and the former Terminal 3.
The New Terminal One will feature 23 new gates, state-of-the-art amenities and New York-inspired shops and restaurants with a local Queens flavor.
“The New Terminal One team is committed to collaborating with neighborhood-based organizations that promote job development, particularly second-chance employment, environmental stewardship, aviation-focused education and capacity-building for local, minority and/or women-owned businesses in southeast Queens and the communities surrounding JFK Airport,” New Terminal One at JFK Executive Chair Dr. Gerrard P. Bushell said. “We thank Kim Hardy for leading the charge and JFK Rotary for its support of LIFE Camp and our mission.”
