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BBB Event Nearly Doubles in Size from Previous Year

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Lafayette Village Collage-01RALEIGH, N.C. (April 27, 2015) — More than 1,500 Triangle residents participated in the Better Business Bureau of Eastern NC’s document shredding and electronics recycling event on April 18 held at Coastal Federal Credit Union and Lafayette Village. This was the largest turnout the semi-annual event has seen. Nearly 53,000 pounds of documents and 26,000 pounds of electronics were collected, securely destroyed and recycled.

“Identity theft remains a pertinent problem today, it is important that individuals understand the risks involved when disposing of documents and electronics,” says Toby Barfield, president and CEO of Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina. “Shredding sensitive information and destroying electronic devices that contain personal data is an important first step to combating fraud.”

Coastal Federal Credit Union and Lafayette Village served as location sponsors, promoting the importance of identity protection and security in the community. Free document shredding services were provided by PROSHRED® Security and A Shred Ahead®. Local recycler, GEEP collected all electronics for secure and eco-friendly destruction.

To date, the “Secure Your ID” Day events have safely destroyed more than 370,000 pounds of sensitive documents and nearly 90,000 pounds of electronics. The event is held in the spring and fall each year. For more information, visit bbbshred.org.

About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina:
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 3,000 local businesses and professional firms. BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by BBB include reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, consumer/business education programs and dispute resolution services. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.

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Lebanese celebrate roots, future with Raleigh festival

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What a great day for our client, Triangle Lebanese Association, during the 17th annual Lebanese Festival. The festival had more than 5,000 attendees. Special shout out to the N&O for recapping such a fun-filled Easter Saturday.  Check out the article below.


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Soha Hilal viewed much of Saturday’s Lebanese Festival through the camera lens on her phone.

She took photos of her daughter, Carla, before the 8-year-old and about 20 other children carried a giant Lebanon flag to a stage on Fayetteville Street’s City Plaza.

Hilal snapped more photos just before Carla walked on the stage to perform a traditional Lebanese dance, known as Dabke.

In fact, it wasn’t until after the music stopped and Carla struck a pose that Hilal stopped taking pictures. After kneeling in front of the stage and holding her gold phone aloft, Carla’s mom stood and high-fived several other camera-wielding Lebanese parents.

“We’ve had her dancing (in the festival) since she was 4,” Hilal said of her daughter, who was born in Raleigh. “We want her to get used to our beats, our music, our culture and our people.”

Organizers said more than 5,000 people crowded the south end of Fayetteville Street on Saturday afternoon to experience dancing, food and other customs of the Middle Eastern country.Saturday’s festival was the 17th hosted by the Triangle Lebanese Association, founded in 1986.

New home

Lebanese have been a part of North Carolina culture for more than a century. But this year, the association had an extra reason to celebrate. TLA late last year bought the first building it can call its own: a 4,500-square-foot structure on Horizon Drive in Raleigh.

“We’ve been saving up for it since we got started,” said Doumit Ishak, a co-founder of the association who serves as its president.

The Lebanese are known for being nomadic, Ishak said. And the Triangle association was no different – gathering in restaurants to socialize and renting out different venues for events over the years. Now it has a space to introduce new cooking classes, dance classes and Arabic classes, Ishak said.

On Saturday, the 50-year-old could hardly contain his excitement. He took a break from manning a grill to hug dozens of friends – even lying on the sidewalk to arm-wrestle with boys.

“These kids are like my own,” he said. “This is an event that, as you can see, makes us so happy and proud.”

North Carolina has been home to Lebanese immigrants since the 1880s and now has about 16,000 Lebanese-Americans, say with N.C. State University’s Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies.

Prominent Raleigh businessman and restaurateur Greg Hatem – who owns Sitti, Gravy and the Raleigh Times, among others – comes from a Lebanese family.

The community has been a part of the culture for so long that the N.C. Museum of History last summer hosted an exhibit called “Cedars in the Pines,” which chronicled Lebanese life in North Carolina.

But for others, such as 7-year-old Jacob Pogerelski, Saturday’s festival provided a rare opportunity to learn about an unfamiliar culture.

His family, which is of Polish descent, spent time at a booth learning Phoenician – the language of some of ancient Lebanon’s earliest settlers – before studying the food selections.

“I can’t believe my name in Phoenician is only two symbols,” Pogerelski said. “It’s interesting.”

Lebanese are known for being hospitable and family-oriented, so many are eager to share their culture, said Bisharah Libbus, who moved to the U.S. from Lebanon in 1971 and now lives in Chapel Hill.

Saturday’s event, which acted as a reunion for many Lebanese in the community, reminded him of when he was embraced by a stranger while walking in his hometown of Tyre last year.

“Your grandmother and my grandmother were sisters! Come, come let’s have coffee,” he recalled the woman saying. “I had never met her. But that’s how we are, very warm.”

BBB Announces Spring “Secure Your ID” Day Document Shredding and Electronic Recycling Event

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Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina announces its spring “Secure Your ID” Day event will take place at two locations in Raleigh on Saturday, April 18, 2015. It will include document shredding, collection of computers and hard-drives for secure destruction, electric/electronics recycling and identity protection tips. The Raleigh shred event will be from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the parking lot of Coastal Federal Credit Union located at 1000 St. Albans Drive and Lafayette Village located at 8480 Honeycutt Road.

The 2015 Identity Fraud Report by Javelin Strategy & Research, states that in 2014, 12.7 million consumers experienced identity fraud, with one incident of identity theft occurring every two seconds.

“Shredding paper documents and safely disposing of used computers and mobile devices are key ways to protect an individual’s identity,” says Toby Barfield, president and CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina. “Our free shred event is the perfect opportunity to safely dispose of both paper documents and electronics.”

During the event, local partners ProShred, A Shred Ahead and GEEP will be on site. Individuals are encouraged to bring up to three boxes/bags of documents that have been removed from binders, and up to five electric/electronic devices. Accepted items are computers, cell phones, tablets, TVs, printers, fax machines, vacuums, DVD/CD players, microwaves and toasters.

To date, the semi-annual “Secure Your ID” Day events have safely destroyed more than 250,000 lbs. of sensitive documents and 65,000 lbs. of electronics. Additional event information is available at www.bbbshred.org.

This is the 14th consecutive “Secure Your ID” Day the Coastal Federal Credit Union has sponsored. Lafayette Village has been serving as a sponsor since October 2013.

About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina:
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 3,000 local businesses and professional firms. BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by BBB include reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, consumer/business education programs and dispute resolution services. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.

Brady Recognizes Associates Affiliated with the U.S. Armed Services

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Brady, a company that provides energy management systems and comprehensive HVAC building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities across North Carolina, offers recognition and appreciation of their associates that have previously or are currently serving in the United States Armed Services. Making up a significant portion of the Brady labor force, 49 associates were service members in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard, or are actively serving in the reserves.

John Padgett

John Padgett

“Brady is proud to have such a large number of associates who have served our country,” says Jim Brady, president. “The technical training these men and women get within the Armed Services has direct application to the products and services we offer. In addition, the leadership skills developed serving our country directly apply in an industry that demands high-level project/process organization, self-management and problem-solving skills.”

As a family-owned business, the culture at Brady blends well with the lifestyle of service members and their families. “I recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, and couldn’t be more thankful to the Brady family and Brady Associates,” says John Padgett, Brady area service manager. “I was recalled in 2001, 2003 and 2006 for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. My Brady family actively supported my wife and I. The owners also make it a custom to formally thank and recognize all military associates on their return from active duty. This means a lot to me and shows that Brady is a company which truly cares about its service members.”

With an increasing number of service members coming home from overseas, companies like Brady play a crucial role in securing private-sector employment. These intelligent and hard-working men and women need hiring executives to see the possibilities for work excellence that comes from their broader range of experience.

In 2011, the company was awarded the Department of Defense Patriot Award. This recognition honors the role Brady plays in supporting  veteran and active duty personnel.

Brady Supports Community College Intern Programs

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Brady LogoBrady, a company that provides energy systems and comprehensive HVAC building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities across North Carolina, announces today that five interns will join the company. Kyle Gentry, Sandy Fulk, Chris Vogts, Daniel Stanley and Ward Christman will intern across the respective offices as part oftheir pursuit of an HVAC degree from their local community college.

Gentry and Fulk will work in Greensboro and are both students at Guilford Technical Community College pursuing an associate degree. Gentry will be working as a boiler technician intern and Fulk as a service technician intern.

Vogts is enrolled in the HVAC diploma program at Alamance Community College. He will serve as a service technician assistant in Winston-Salem.

Stanley and Christman will be working as service technician interns in the RTP area. Both are students at Wake Technical Community College pursuing their associate degree in air conditioning, heating and refrigeration technology.

Brady has a long-standing relationship with community colleges dating back to 1962. In addition to internship opportunities and hiring graduates, Brady has made significant donations in the form of scholarships and equipment to the HVAC degree programs. 

About Brady:
Brady is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina with locations in Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Charlotte. Founded in 1962 by Chairman Don Brady, the company remains a family owned enterprise, today employing 357 associates. The company works with building owners, facility managers, developers, architects, engineers and contractors providing sustainable, comprehensive building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities. Brady provides customers with a diverse range of HVAC and building solutions including building automation, energy conservation, green design, performance contracts, access controls, security, mechanical systems, parts and supplies, as well as world-class technical support. For more information, visit www.bradyservices.com or call (800) 849-1915.

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