Last month, The Collective (Webcor’s Black employee resource group, open to ALL Webcorians) celebrated Juneteenth the only way they knew how: immersed in community.
Established as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth honors the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were finally free, effectively ending slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865.
The Collective organized two Juneteenth events rooted in community: representing Webcor at Berkeley’s Juneteenth festival and volunteering at Casa Arabella, an affordable housing complex run by The Unity Council in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood.
“Partnering with Casa Arabella aligned with The Collective’s goal of giving back through volunteerism,” says HR Specialist and Collective co-leader Dante Robinson. “This year, we’re shifting our focus back on mental health and community. We’re making sure our time and resources are going back to the cities that raised us and communities that developed us.”
At Berkeley’s Juneteenth festival, Outreach and Partnerships Manager Sharla Sullivan (Collective co-leader), Safety Manager Kendall Cantave, and Insurance Specialist Chanelle Jones connected with the Berkeley community while representing Webcor in a city that’s become home to several of our projects and people.
It was an exciting first for The Collective, who had previously only represented Webcor at the Fillmore’s Juneteenth event in San Francisco.
“During a Collective call, we decided we should have a change of scenery and join in Berkeley’s celebration,” Kendall says. “We’d already established a strong presence in San Francisco—it was time to expand to the East Bay!”
Kendall’s represented Webcor at several community festivals (SF Carnaval, Bayview’s Sunday Streets, etc.) to spread the word about our projects and local hire program. Typically, general contractors' presence at these events is rare.
Webcor’s engagement speaks volumes about our dedication to community, he says. It’s not just a core value slapped on a corporate website—it’s something we’re committed to championing with our time and resources.
“We want our neighbors to feel connected to Webcor,” Kendall says. “When attendees approached us, they sensed our positive energy and genuine desire to connect, as well as the pride we took in our booth. We provided water so they could stay hydrated, set up an art station for kids, and put out our branded signage, including our Speak Up for Safety, Diversity, Equality, & Unity poster.”
One booth visitor was especially impressed with the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project’s (BDFP, an MWH/Webcor joint venture that sponsored the booth) Neighborhood Hiring Program, a local hiring initiative spearheaded by Kendall, Sr. Field Outreach Manager (and Collective member) Tyrone Evans, Project Outreach Manager Chris Bardales, Sr. Project Coordinator Nicole Rangel, and Sr. Project Director Rowena Domingo.
“The Neighborhood Hiring Program is a major step forward in solving the labor shortage,” Kendall says. “We introduce people to opportunities in the trades and partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) to equip them with the resources needed to get started.”
Throughout the day, Kendall, Sharla, and Chanelle took their time explaining what Webcor, the BDFP, and The Collective were all about with an emphasis on community impact. They also distributed Webcor-branded handouts with QR codes linking to our general website, the Neighborhood Hiring Program, and our outreach/prequalification sites for small, local, and minority-owned businesses.
“Several people took our handouts to connect with our CBO partners about getting started in the trades,” Kendall says. “Some were parents who planned to share the information with their teenage/young adult kids who were considering a career in the trades as well.”
Plenty of parents also stopped by the booth so their kids could check out the arts and crafts table Kendall had set up in lieu of Webcor swag items, which were limited this year.
“Something thoughtful like a craft table for our neighbors’ kids shows we’re there to support our community members,” Kendall says. “We had crayons, paint, paper, markers, and a laminator so kids could preserve their drawings.”
Later that week, Chanelle, Sharla, and Kendall joined Dante, Chris, Sr. Director, Employee Experience Tim Wortham; VP, Technology Kamika Kilgore; Executive Assistant, Corporate Services Sandra Blanco; and Safety Coordinator Ty’Asia Reynolds at Casa Arabella for the second half of their Juneteenth celebration.
The Collective’s been a supporter of The Unity Council since Chanelle made the introduction in 2023. Later that year, she spearheaded The Collective’s first holiday clothing drive for Casa Arabella residents, many of whom are children and formerly unhoused U.S. military veterans. All residents’ household income is at or below 20—60 percent of the area median income.
“We see all the beautiful families that reside there and are just happy to give back,” Dante says. “They’re less than 10 minutes from our Alameda office. As we talk about community as a core value, it’s important that we help those closest to us and expand from there.”
That day, Collective members joined Casa Arabella residents and employees for a festive afternoon of fresh BBQ, fun games, celebratory music, meaningful conversation, and most importantly, genuine connection.
“We wanted to give back to Casa Arabella’s amazing community with entertainment and food,” Dante says. “We wanted to remind them that their neighbors have their back.”
Casa Arabella’s on-site staff kicked off the event with an overview of their services and impact before The Collective members got to work arranging tables and chairs, seasoning meat, preparing the grill for the cookout, and decorating the area with balloons and banners.
“One kid came up to Chanelle and said her grill skills were top-tier and that she should open her own restaurant,” Dante says. “Everyone left full and happy that evening.”
