Shaping Futures

J.B. Brown Fund

By Erica Rascón on Jan 22, 2018 in People

Yardi client USA Properties teamed up with Life Steps in 1996 to create the J.B. Brown Fund, a philanthropic partnership to help residents of affordable housing fulfill their academic potential, participate in sports, and overcome financial hardships.

The Fund

Geoffrey C. Brown, president and CEO of USA Properties Fund Inc., co-created J.B. Brown fund in honor of his father. His father established the company’s mission back in 1981. The fund is an extension of that mission.

“What’s important to me is our tagline as a company: Creating Outstanding Communities,’” says Brown. “To me, an outstanding community isn’t just a pretty project with sticks and bricks. A nice community also includes the social services that we provide.”

Social services at USA Properties begin with LifeSteps, a resource provider offering skills training and educational programs that empower residents.

Services are extended through the J.B. Brown fund. The athletic opportunities offered through the fund are close to Brown’s heart. He participated in youth sports as a child and coached his children in youth sports for several years.

“The lessons learned in youth sports are invaluable,” begins Brown. “You learn teamwork, discipline, and competition but most importantly, you learn how to lose. You learn that you can’t be afraid to fail. That might be the most valuable of all lessons.”

The crown jewels of the J.B. Brown Fund are the academic scholarships, awarded to residents that strive to attend institutions of higher learning. To date, the J.B. Brown Fund has been able to fund every qualified applicant.

“We want to create a mindset where people don’t think that because they grew up in affordable housing community that they can’t go to college,” explains Brown. “We’ve had a number of successful people who have gone through the whole program. As freshmen, they were recipients, and they were able to be recipients ever year until they’ve graduated.”

The Recipients

No two scholarship recipients are the same, yet each recipient represents a cross-section of the American dream. From the local family striving to rebuilding after economic loss to refugees fleeing war, each student dreams of a better future.

Victoria Solis was the student that most teachers dream to teach: helpful in the classroom, sociable, and active in extra curricular activities and volunteerism. A long commute, however, made it difficult to Solis to get to her classes.

Solis explains, “I missed school about two to three times a month because of troubles with my commute, but I never let it stop me from doing good in my classes. Taking the bus, my school was about 25 minutes away because the bus stop is far from campus and walking it was about 45 minutes.”

To complicate matters, Solis was often in and out of hospitals. “I was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy which is a neuromuscular disease. This disease means I will progressively get worse and lose strength with time. I have been going to many specialists and doctors’ appointment my whole life and as of now, there is no cure. Because of this, I am bound to a wheelchair.”

In spite of the challenges, Solis knew that she wanted to get her high school diploma and continue on to college. With medical bills and other responsibilities on their plates, Solis did not want to further strain her parent’s finances. She sought scholarships to independently fund her college education.

“Financially, I needed an extra push,” says Solis. “I knew I could not afford books and I didn’t want to rely on my parents for everything.”

The apartment manager at her affordable housing community recommended that Solis apply for the J.B. Brown Fund scholarship.

“This scholarship has helped me to push myself when it comes to grades and keeping up with my classes. It has also helped me not stress so much about having to pay for books and other fees in college and allowed me to stay focused on my studies,” says Solis.

On a personal level, the scholarship has helped Solis explore self-sufficiency and solidify her visions for the future.

“I no longer have to rely on my parents as much financially,” she observes. “I am the first person in my family to earn an advanced degree. I am the youngest of five and no one in my family has ever attended college or even high school. This was also a reason I was motivated to continue my education.”

Solis’s future is dedicated towards helping others. “I would like to work in hospitals with children and help them with their recovery. I spent most of my life in and out of hospitals and I would like to help out those who are in similar situations as me.”

The J.B.Brown Fund continues to promote brighter futures for America’s children and seniors. To support the organization in its mission, make a contribution.