BSCAI's Arthur C. Barraclough Company Community Service Award

Arthur C. Barraclough Company Community Service Award

Valarie and LeRoy Dock
Valarie and LeRoy Dock help guide the community service and outreach efforts for Bolana Enterprises

The Arthur C. Barraclough Company Community Service Award recognizes those building service contractors that engage in community service and outreach that makes a real impact — not just for their own employees, but for their clients and the community around them. The winner of this honor is presented with a crystal award and a $1,000 dollar donation to the charity of their choice. This year, the Arthur C. Barraclough Company Community Service Award goes to Bolana Enterprises of Beltsville, Maryland.

Bolana Enterprises doesn't just work hard to service clients and clean facilities — they make a special effort to be a force of positive change in their community. One glance at their company newsletter makes it clear: Bolana cares about people. Led by Valarie and LeRoy Dock, Bolana Enterprises focuses on community outreach to the homeless, disease prevention and health awareness, financial support to organizations that serve and protect children, preparing meals for those that need food, marching and demonstrating for the rights of the underserved and underrepresented, and speaking to youth about financial literacy and educational scholarship opportunities.

The Dock's keep it simple when they describe their attitude toward service.

"If we can help someone along the way," they say about their motto, "then our living is not in vain."

The list of their deeds is numerous, and their footprint on the community is obvious. Indeed, there's almost nothing going on in society that they haven't taken strides to address. Just since last May, they've prepared hundreds of weekly lunches for the Prince George County Crisis Center, including a special inspirational note with each meal. Their team members have also purchased new clothing goods to stock the local shelters so that everyone can have access to clean clothes.

In 2020, the Dock's presented their workers with six scholarships, an annual ritual that helps recipients attend school — with an extra bonus for the highest GPAs. Meanwhile, when COVID-19 interrupted their ability to mentor local children, they instead used their resources to help kids obtain the equipment they needed for effective distance learning, such as headphones.

If the true mark of dedicated community service is a sense of perseverance in the face of challenging circumstances, Bolana has shown that they rise to the moment over and over. The impact they have made is only just beginning.