FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Growing up in Frankfort, the idea of public service came naturally to Gabriel and Braden Kalla. Their parents were both local police officers; their father served in Versailles, and their mother became the first female officer in Frankfort.
"We grew up in a family of public servants. Both of our parents were local police officers; Dad was in Versailles, and our mom was the first female officer here in Frankfort. It really is in our blood to give back to the community and to serve," Braden said.
When the Kentucky River flooded their community last April, the brothers didn't hesitate to assist those affected by the disaster.
"We got to work. We went to Paul Sawyer. That was hit by far the hardest. We had the hazmat suits on, we were under people's houses, we were moving furniture out. It was devastating. We knew right then and there that we had to do something," Gabriel said.
The Kalla brothers are following through by starting a nonprofit organization. The goal of The Kalla Foundation is to help communities increase preparedness for natural disasters. Their first action is to give a scholarship to a high school senior in central Kentucky.
"It's to help them pursue a higher education in one of the related fields that helps our mission and disaster relief," Braden said.
The $750 scholarship will give a student a head start in college and their future career in disaster preparedness or related fields.
As the foundation is just beginning, they are seeking backers. For now, Gabriel is directly investing in young people by funding the scholarship entirely from his savings.
"I'm funding this completely out of my savings accounts," Gabriel said.
Through a devastating disaster that affected many communities, the Kalla brothers found a silver lining: a passion to serve the public and inspire others to do the same.
"We would like to set the standard for what people do in this kind of industry and what our generation does for this kind of work," Gabriel said.
The brothers hope their standard will lead students to pursue careers that serve their communities, so that more will be prepared and ready if and when the next disaster hits.
To learn more about the foundation, go to: The Kalla Foundation.
