Do you remember when learning was fun? So fun that you didn’t realize you were learning because it just felt like playtime? I grew up playing “mad scientist” with my older brother, replicating his school experiments in our kitchen. My neighborhood friends and I played Jurassic Park as we trekked through the woods exploring plants, insects, and animal tracks. Those days of childhood play are at risk for many of today’s kids. kidSTREAM is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the art of effortless learning through play. Yardi Oxnard team member Wendy Aceveda-Solis serves as a board member with kidSTREAM. I spoke with her to learn more about this innovative organization. kidSTREAM: education through play kidSTREAM is founded on the basic principle that learning should be fun and engaging. The organization provides an interactive environment where kids explore, play and discover. Each experience aims to inspire and empower kids to become critical thinkers, innovators and life-long learners. Acevedo-Solis began working with kidSTREAM two years ago. In addition to being a board member, she assists with the fundraising and programs committees. She’s passionate about museums and is excited to share interactive learning with children. “I’ve been fascinated by museums since I was a child,” she shares. “I have shared this passion with my children, and it is incredible to see the curiosity and desire to explore through their eyes! Most children’s museums are outside of Ventura County, so when I heard about kidSTREAM, I wanted to help bring something to our community.” Since becoming a nonprofit in 2016, kidSTREAM has helped to educate more than 30,000 children and families around Ventura County. The non-profit focuses on experiences in science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math. A team of dedicated staff and volunteers host lessons where kids hang out the most: classrooms, parks, libraries and their (increasingly) their...

Pets can change us for the better. Pets offer companionship, humor and unconditional love. (Except for some cats, or maybe most cats, who love you quite selectively. But if you’ve ever known and loved a cat, their personalities are part of the charm!) Santa Paula Animal Resource Center (SPARC) is a nonprofit shelter that provides resources, progressive programs, and community education to rehabilitate and rehome abandoned and stray animals. SPARC’s efforts unite pets and pet lovers for long-lasting family bond. Join us as we learn more about SPARC’s innovative work from its president and CEO Tara Diller. What’s the big deal about pets? Pets are, in themselves, a pretty big deal. It’s their influence on communal wellbeing, however, that is making news. Decision makers including clinicians and city planners are realizing the benefits of pet care for the wellness of community members and communities. Homeowners seek neighborhoods with pet parks and services. The boost in desirability correlates to higher home prices and property taxes for local governments. In short, dog parks and other pet services help to sustain relative value in neighborhoods. Additionally, pets contribute to individual wellbeing: “Studies show that owning a pet improves one’s mental and emotional health and pet owners tend to have a greater sense of well-being and motivation knowing that their pet depends on them,” says Diller. SPARC celebrates the human-animal bond and aims to eliminate the barriers that hamper the advancement of companion animal welfare. Their efforts promote a future that considers all pets within the community, not just those who end up at a shelter. “We recognize the emotional, mental and physical benefits a pet brings,” says Diller. “SPARC is working towards keeping pets and people together and being part of a more robust system of support....

What do you do you’re the director of a school foundation and, suddenly, there is no school? You find yourself rapidly organizing to get meals and social services to kids in need. When schools open with remote learning, you pivot once again to get educational supplies and technology to families—even when there isn’t a one-to-one ratio for supplies. For Jill Henden and fellow members of Cherry Creek Schools Foundation (CCSF), the past year has been full of twists, turns and pivots. The organization has remained nimble in the face of change—and they need community to support Cherry Creek School District. Cherry Creek Schools district Henden established a relationship with Cherry Creek Schools district when her sons were just boys. Now, one is a graduate. “It’s been good to us. It’s been an incredibly experience for my sons, and I wanted to get more involved even though I don’t have a background in education,” she says. Nine years after joining the non-profit, Henden has overcome a learning curve that included countless acronyms, long meetings and navigating the complex relationship of local and federal funding. She happily serves the foundation as executive director. “It was definitely a learning curve,” she laughs. “I’ve worked with non-profits in the past, so I’m used to learning quickly as I go. I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible leaders. They’ve been phenomenal and I’ve learned so much from them.” Over the years, Henden has observed the intricacies of the Cherry Creek community and the nuances of serving a diverse group of students and their families. The community is more complex than many are led to believe: “Many people think we’re a wealthy suburban school district and we don’t struggle with the same problems as our neighbors,” she explains. “Nearly 30%...

Even brief lives can leave a lasting impact. Baby Angela Policastro departed from this world shortly after her first birthday. Her life inspired the creation of a unique non-profit that supports medically frail children and their families. Yardi united efforts to support this groundbreaking organization. About Angela’s House Angela’s House is a not-for-profit agency that offers support and services for the families of medically fragile children. By coordinating an array of essential home care services, Angela’s House gives families an opportunity to focus on each other rather than finding, negotiating, funding and scheduling necessary resources. Home care services were only the beginning. Since 1992, the organization has expanding to include three residences. On average, the residences and home services serve 600 children each year. Programs cover medical supplies, therapeutic equipment, assistive technology, home modifications, respite, counseling and crisis assistance as well as special camps and other enrichment resources. These offerings are called the Everyday Wishes, providing for the everyday needs of kids as well as critical care. Angela’s House + Yardi The Angela’s House 3K Walk raises funds for the Everyday Wishes. Yardi has participated in the walk for the past three years. The 2020 Virtual 3K Walk theme, “At Your Place, Your Pace” encouraged participants to practice social distancing while supporting the organization. Patrons walked with their families, friends and neighbors to raise funds for the cause. CSD team leader Mark Skapinski and fellow planning committee members Sue LaGuardia, Joseph Montesano, and Cristine Gleason led the initiative at Yardi. #TeamYardi showed up in full force! In total, 31 Yardi employees participated in the walk, including eight from CSD. Different departments walked at different times, continuing support for the organization throughout the day. CSD team members walked with one another via Microsoft Teams video...

Dreams connect us with endless possibilities. They encourage us to step out on faith and believe that we can receive good from the world. For children with life-threatening conditions, dreams sustain hope and the will to live life to its fullest. Andrea Siracusa is the director of community relations with Dreams Come True in Jacksonville. For 11 years, she has witnessed the transformative impact of dreams fulfilled. The prospect of helping her community is what attracted her to the organization years ago. “I have always had a passion to give back to the community I grew up in,” she says. “I was driven by the knowledge that all my hard work and dedication was being applied toward providing services and support to those less fortunate in Northeast Florida.” After graduating with a degree in communications and public relations, she soon joined the organization because she felt connected to its vision. “I immediately feel in love with the mission to bring hope and joy to children and families stricken by life-threatening illnesses. To have the opportunity to share the stories of our dream children and find ways to connect our community to the mission, was a passion I developed immediately after stepping through the doors.” The power of a dream Dreams are more than just a trip, shopping adventure or bedroom makeover. They are often motivation for the children to keep hope alive when times seem unbearable. “For many of our dream children, the reality of a life-threatening illness can be very daunting. I have heard many stories of children who have given up on their treatments, but when the discussion of a dream trip was started a new light emerged. They now are focused on getting better and finishing the treatments that are before...

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. We unite to support vulnerable members of the community and end domestic abuse through education, advocacy and service. At The Redwood, an emergency shelter for women and children fleeing abuse, every month is domestic violence awareness month. Even through the pandemic, the non-profit works tirelessly to ensure that women and children have the resources that they need to escape their abusers. The Redwood offers essential services for women who are courageously leaving abusive relationships. At the site, they receive emergency shelter, meals, crisis intervention, counseling, and educational services for children. They can also access employment assistance, legal advocacy and accompaniment to appointments like court dates where a woman may have to face her abuser. Abi Ajibolade is the Executive Director at The Redwood. She began with the organization 16 years ago after immigrating to Canada from Nigeria. Her compassion for women experiencing violence prompted her to join The Redwood, but it was the organization’s approach to its mission that made her stay. “The Redwood thinks beyond band-aid solutions and looks to make systemic changes in the community to end gender inequities that perpetuate violence against women,” she says. “The strategy hasn’t left me disappointed for a single day, since I joined. We live and breathe that vision, that mandate, and that’s what has kept me here.” Steps towards independence bring the greatest risks Women’s first steps toward freedom are far more perilous than the public and legislators often believe. “People think that once they leave an abusive household, everything is fine,” explains Ajibolade as she shakes her head. “That’s not true. Even the legal system thinks it’s true. It’s not. Leaving the home is a small step. In a way, it exposes her to additional risks.” “We’ve lost...

Yardi is proud to support the community outreach of clients like the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). Their non-profit Kids Progress, Inc. (KPI), supports social service programs that enhance quality of life and ensure long-term academic and economic success for residents in HACLA’s public housing developments. Founded in 2002, five core components of KPI’s work include the promotion of workforce development and lifelong learning, education and youth development, health and wellness, safety and security, and civic engagement. The KPI Scholarship program is designed to support the youth living in HACLA’s public housing developments who are heading to college. “We recognize that college is an important tool for financial and social mobility, not only for the youth themselves but for their families as well,” said Jennifer Thomas Arthurs, vice president of KPI and deputy assistant director of strategic initiatives for HACLA. “Yardi has been a long-time partner and supporter of HACLA with its software services as well as through the Section 3 program.” The scholarship program supports and celebrates graduating seniors from HACLA’s Section 8 program and public housing sites who are transitioning to college. This is the first year that Yardi funded scholarships for the program, providing scholarships for three rising college freshmen. The selected scholars, who all live in public housing, will be attending UC Merced, UC Irvine, and Cal Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.  Students selected for awards must have a minimum of 2.5 GPA, be active in community service and enrichment activities and submit letters of recommendation as well as essays. The program provides a one-time scholarship to high school seniors who are going to attend either trade/vocational school, 2-year colleges and 4-year colleges. Since 2013, the program has awarded a total of $172,000 in scholarship...

When you live in chronic pain, saying “yes” to events and activities is a difficult choice. For people living with arthritis, it can be a constant struggle to stay fit, social, and optimistic when discomfort impacts your every move. Fortunately, there is the Arthritis Foundation. The Atlanta-based nonprofit helps people living with one of 100 arthritis conditions find the relief and hope needed to Live Yes. Arthritis Foundation + Yardi The Arthritis Foundation serves on two levels. Primarily, the organization pursues cures and enhanced treatments for the disease. Additionally, it provides a network of information and resources to support the 50 million adults and 300,000 children living with arthritis. Clients can access in-person and online tools that are aimed to empower, uplift, and promote a sense of community. Marilyn Hansen, software development engineer III, development at Yardi has been involved with the Arthritis Foundation for about 20 years. She got involved when a loved one was diagnosed with the illness at a relatively young age. “I have an adult daughter who has had to deal with rheumatoid arthritis for over 30 years. She’s had multiple surgeries to help relieve the pain. There have been tough times, but resources through the Arthritis Foundation have helped her live a fulfilling life. She got married this past December and my husband and I really like our new son-in-law!” shared Hansen. Hansen advocates for the cause in Sacramento and participates in the annual Taste of the Town and Arthritis Walk in Santa Barbara. During a typical year, Hansen organizes a team of Yardi team members to complete the walk and raise funds. She also helps with food prep for the events. But this year has been year of unprecedented change, forcing Hansen and the Arthritis Foundation to get...

Yardi Vasti Vikas Prakalp (YVVP), Yardi’s dedicated corporate social responsibility project in Pune, India, supports NGOs and implements direct interventions in urban communities (vastis) of Pune city. As the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted India severely, YVVP has pivoted to help. Normal field visits to the vastis halted when a lockdown to prevent COVID-19 spread began in late March. The CSR team switched to using virtual platforms to stay connected with beneficiaries and stakeholders, to understand the situation on the ground and address unprecedented issues. This has presented various challenges. Many vasti residents do not have smart phones, internet access or resources to recharge phones. “Lockdown restrictions in congested spaces combined with loss of jobs have created high levels of fear, anxiety and frustrations among family members, in addition to hunger,” said Bharati Kotwal, head of CSR at Yardi Pune. “Our stakeholders in vastis, such as community mobilizers, sanitation committee members and youth leaders have helped us to identify the neediest families and do what we could to relieve some of the distress.” Aiding with sanitation and sustenance needs YVVP has provided relief to vasti residents in two significant ways during lockdown: Provided dry ration kits (food and grocery items) to families identified through the YVVP field team and NGO partners. Supplied masks, sanitizer and sanitary pads to those isolated in shelters located in municipal schools. “We provided dry ration kits to over 2800 households in three months through NGOs or by procuring items directly and distributing them ourselves,” Kotwal said. “Though NGOs, foundations, individuals and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) were providing similar help, we could reach those who were left out because of our connections in the vastis.” Keeping community toilets clean and functional is one of the largest efforts of YVVP. The...

No one would have been surprised if it had all gone downhill. As shelter-in-place and social distancing measures hit California, a nonprofit focused on social interaction and time outdoors for seniors was unlikely to emerge unscathed. But where there is a will, there is a way. John Seigel-Boettner found a way. Leaning in to change Cycling Without Age is a Denmark-based organization that uses cycling as a cure for feelings of loneliness, alienation and depression amongst the elderly. Bikers, known as pilots, take seniors on two-hour rides through local neighborhoods. It’s an opportunity for the passengers to enjoy the outdoors, socialize and make new friends even when they’re nonverbal. As the new year began, the Santa Barbara chapter of Cycling Without Age experienced a surge in support and resources. Founder Seigel-Boettner built a relationship with eight senior centers that he and his pilots visited twice a week. He had just received two new tri-shaws–custom rickshaws with bucket seats and an electric motor —and trained 25 new pilots. With these resources, Cycling Without Age was prepared to make an even greater impact among Santa Barbara’s 17,000 senior citizens. “But the day that the bikes showed up is the day that we got locked down,” recalls Seigel-Boettner. Protocols set in place by Governor Newsom aimed to protect vulnerable populations from exposure to COVID-19. The unfortunate side effect was the increased loneliness, alienation and depression amongst seniors. “We were scratching our heads. We can’t pilot because we can’t get in the doors. Families can’t even get in the doors,” says Seigel-Boettner. Cycling Without Age came to a grinding halt. Seigel-Boettner and his team paused to take in the news, and them immediately sought new ways to serve the elderly. Getting creative, providing hope Seigel-Boettner began to brainstorm...

Many of us have done it. In conversation with a small child, we casually ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” But how often do we make sure that child has what they need to succeed? When Samuel J. Ashe II looked around his community, he saw a deficit in educational resources specifically in the areas of math, fine arts and the sciences. As an active mentor, he wanted to support the big dreams of the neighborhood kids, but he couldn’t do it alone. Fortunately, his family and the community stepped in to help. Bringing people to the forefront of business After graduating with his MBA, Ashe joined Yardi as a marketing specialist with the RentCafe Reach Team. “I have clients all over the country. I manage their digital marketing needs including but not limited to SEO, PPC, and social media management,” he says. Ashe joined Yardi because its corporate culture didn’t feel corporate at all. “Yardi is very people-focused and collaborative,” he says. “We have so many departments, yet I still feel like one big team as we all collaborate to provide superior customer services.” “From day one, I noticed this was a nurturing environment,” adds Ashe. “There was a great deal of energy put into the development of employees, as many of my first days were spent training online in Aspire. That was a breath of fresh air compared to a past of ‘figure it out’ job trainings. Over time, there have been more opportunities to improve upon my already solidified strengths and certifications coursework.” The Ashe Arts & STEM Academy: Representation matters Yardi’s focus on employee development resonated with Ashe, who is the Executive Director of The Ashe Arts & STEM Academy. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit supports the...

(Part two of a three-part series. Read part one, on the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.) Always a supporter of the communities in which its offices are located, during the last three months Yardi has committed funds for hunger relief services across North America. This week, the real estate software leader announced a second round of donations for the food banks it supported in March. Among the 22 organizations is the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, which has seen a significant increase in the need for food supplies in the Raleigh/Durham metro area. Normally, Foodbank CENC would distribute around 7 million pounds of food a month. In March, they saw that number increase by nearly 1 million pounds, said Jennifer Caslin, its marketing and project manager. The food bank also had to dramatically increase spending to buy non-perishable items and prepare for the months to come. A normal outlay for one month of purchased food would be $55,000. In March, they spent $2 million, mainly to stock up on nonperishable items. “Prior to the crisis, we had 600,000 people in food insecure households in our area. We think that number has gone up by 200,000 to 250,000, and that’s probably a conservative estimate,” Caslin said. Adjusting to changing times Without access to some of normal resources, like a steady supply of community volunteers and consistent donation stream from local grocery stores, the Foodbank CENC has pivoted – like almost all businesses and non-profits nationwide – to adjust workflows and best practices and continue serving as many people as possible. To help children who might usually receive a free breakfast and lunch during the school day, they worked to supply school sites with adequate supplies for grab-and-go lunches and snacks as well as...

S.W. was happy to move her family into a new Ontario apartment. Within a few nights, however, she noticed red sores on her children followed by sickness. “The new building had bed bugs,” she sighed. “We all got sick. The landlord fumigated, but we had to throw out all of our furniture. It took me years to collect all that furniture and it was gone in one shot.” Fortunately,  My Furniture Bank had beds available. My Furniture Bank, formerly known as Mississauga Furniture Bank, provides emergency and transitional relief furniture for families. The nonprofit recycles new and gently used home furnishes and distributes them to people in need. Recipients include those transitioning from homelessness, emancipated youth, refugees, impoverished families, seniors, individuals escaping domestic violence, the medically disabled, as well as people who have lost their possessions due to natural disaster and personal tragedy. “Because of My Furniture Bank, I was lucky to get beds for my family quickly!” S.W. says. Family, furniture + history This year marks the 10th anniversary of My Furniture Bank. Kathryn Palangio, executive director, has been with the nonprofit for nine of its ten-year history. She is excited to guide the organization into a future of expanded services for happier, healthier communities. She says, “I was personally inspired by my Dad who has spent the better part of his life repairing and refurbishing home furniture for those who could not.  He would never let a good piece of furniture be sent to the landfill if it could be revitalized.  Once he had it looking great, he would then find it a home working through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and his church.” Palangio continues, “Years ago, when I was looking for a volunteer opportunity, I found myself drawn to...