CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation have a long-standing relationship with Vapor Ministries, a non-profit organization committed to serving hundreds of thousands of people in extreme poverty around the world and spreading God’s word through fellowship and community. They do this by traveling to third-world environments and building Sustainable Centers that provide clean water, healthcare and educational opportunities for local residents.

Charlis Brock, Executive Vice President and Market Executive at CBI is on the Vapor Ministries Board of Directors.

“I’ve never experienced an organization quite like Vapor Ministries,” says Charlis. “This organization travels to the poorest communities in the world and provides for both the spiritual and physical needs of the people that live there. It’s truly amazing to see a Sustainable Center come to life and to see the teams at Vapor help create opportunities for local community members to provide for themselves and create a better future.”

Micah McElveen and his wife Audrey founded Vapor Ministries in 2005 after years of prayer, soul searching and personal introspection. Today, Vapor Ministries has brought essential resources and support to some of the poorest communities across the globe. 

A team from the Live Love Serve Foundation recently visited Vapor Ministries’ headquarters in Sylacauga, Alabama. While onsite, the team met with Micah, Audrey and leaders of each department in the organization. The goal of the trip was to learn more about future initiatives for Vapor Ministries and strategize ways CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation could continue supporting their mission.

Colleen Longo, a member of the Live Love Serve Foundation Board of Directors was an attendee on the trip. 

“This trip let me experience firsthand the undeniable vision that Micah and Audrey have when it comes to helping those in extreme poverty,” says Colleen. “Hearing their story about how they spent the first year of their marriage living out of their car as they prayed about their purpose and worked to bring Vapor Ministries to life – it was inspiring. And touring the Vapor Ministries offices and seeing what Micah and Audrey have built in a short sixteen years is truly amazing and only emphasized our commitment to the organization.”

Over the past four years, CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation provided Vapor Ministries with a grant of $50,000 a year totaling $200,000 to support their mission and vision and help fund much needed programs. In 2020, the two organizations provided an additional $150,000 which helped fund a new Thrift Store, operated by Vapor Ministries to offset additional operating expenses, and to help with COVID-19 relief. This past commitment from the CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation totals $350,000.

CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation are proud to renew their commitment to Vapor Ministries for the next five-years. The two organizations have agreed to provide combined $100,000 per year donation to Vapor Ministries through 2025 to help further their work and support their mission. With this commitment, CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation will have provided $850,000 in support to Vapor Ministries by the end of 2025. 

David Longo, Founder, Chairman and CEO of CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation says, “Vapor Ministries’ goal of bringing assistance and resources to communities in need while educating about the goodness of God directly aligns with the Live Love Serve Foundation’s mission of “living a GOD-centered life focused on love,” and we are pleased to continue supporting them however we can as they continue to do life-changing work in the communities that need it most.” 
 

Last week, CBI Charlotte hosted a blood drive on its campus to support the American Red Cross. Abbey Kochert, a member of CBI’s Workplace Consulting team, planned the event and worked with the American Red Cross to set-up a temporary blood bank in CBI’s Learning Center where Associates could sign-up to give blood throughout the day. 

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The American Red Cross has seen a dramatic decline in the number of blood donations received over the last year,” says Abbey. “I thought hosting a blood drive would be a great way for CBI to give back to our local community and assist an organization that is truly responsible for saving lives.”

A single blood donation can save at least 3 lives and 18 CBI Associates participated in the onsite blood drive. This means within just a few hours, CBI Charlotte contributed to saving at least 54 lives via the American Red Cross. 

“We were so proud of the turnout from our CBI Charlotte office,” says Abbey. “On behalf of CBI, we wanted to express our sincerest gratitude to the entire American Red Cross Team for partnering with us. They were an absolute pleasure to work with from our initial conversation to the actual drive, and we can wait to participate in future opportunities with them.” 

Learn more about the American Red Cross and how to donate blood here. 
 

Earlier this month, CBI Workplace Solutions hosted a Spring Cleaning Sale to raise money for the Live Love Serve Foundation. The Spring Cleaning Sale was a four day event in which CBI sold excess furniture and accessories to associates and coalition partners at discounted prices. The sale raised approximately $3,000 for the Live Love Serve Foundation, CBI’s sister organization that provides financial support, volunteerism, and advocacy for individuals, religious organizations and other charities primarily in the communities CBI Workplace Solutions operates.

 Connie Engelbrecht, CBI’s Director of Client & Community Engagement, organized the event.

“We did it in a very safe manner,” says Connie. “Items were placed an appropriate distance apart in the warehouse and masks and hand sanitizer were provided to all individuals who entered the sale. We had a wonderful turnout of about 30 different groups of partners and associates, and many of the beautiful items that had been sitting in our warehouse found new homes by the end of the sale.”

Items that were not sold during the sale were donated, in true Live Love Serve fashion. There were tables, chairs and bookcases that went to Beds for Kids, a local organization that helps families in need furnish their living spaces. The Live Love Serve Foundation is engrained in CBI’s corporate culture and is a unique part of our history. Our leadership and our Associates are passionate about living a God centered life focused on love by serving our local communities. We are proud of the work our team puts into living out this philosophy each and every day and will continue to find new ways to support and grow the Live Love Serve Foundation.