Associate technical account manager Thomas Barker is a talented distance runner who competed in college and has coached All American runners. He’s also running his first full marathon at the New York City Marathon this fall. But Barker is not just a runner who is concerned with his own race results and training plans. He’s actively involved in the Atlanta running community as the president of the local Front Runners chapter. Front Runners is an international organization that promotes running, walking and related athletic activities for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and their supporters. “In Atlanta, Front Runners has been an active running group for 29 years. It’s a great way for new runners to get introduced to the sport, and a healthy environment for the LGBT community to gather that’s not in a bar environment,” Barker explained. The chapter produces an annual running event, the Atlanta Pride Run, which will take place this year on June 15. Yardi is the Pride Run’s title corporate sponsor this year. Many other local businesses are assisting with fundraising to support the run and its cause, including local restaurants and bars. “June 2019 is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, which really kicked off the civil rights movement for the LGBT community,” Barker said. “It brought international awareness to the gay rights movement in the U.S. and worldwide.  The first Pride parade in New York City was held on the anniversary of the riots, and now Pride is celebrated every year around the world.” Yardi employees will participate in the run, which is a fundraiser for the Atlanta non-profit Joining Hearts. The mission of Joining Hearts is to raise awareness, and funds to support prevention, care, and housing assistance to those impacted by...

Food insecurity affects one in every six seniors in Idaho. This vulnerable population relies on local aid to stay healthy. Yardi Boise teamed up with Metro Meals on Wheels and the community of Treasure Valley to combat hunger among seniors. Meals on Wheels In America, more than 9 million elderly adults struggle with food insecurity. About 6.9 million seniors live in poverty with incomes of less than $228 each week. About one in every four seniors lives alone with one in five reporting feelings of loneliness. When seniors lack adequate nutrition and face loneliness, their mental and physical health suffer. Meals on Wheels is a federally supported organization that combats hunger and loneliness. Its volunteers deliver life-saving to 2.4 million seniors nationwide. The capstone service is meal delivery, in which seniors and other people with limited mobility receive fresh food delivered to their doors. Volunteers deliver 225 million meals each year. During deliveries, Meals on Wheels also conducts welfare checks. Representatives asses seniors’ personal wellbeing and living conditions. Through these services, seniors are better able to remain independent while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Meals on Wheels has also expanded its services to house pets. Seniors that struggle to feed themselves often lack the means to feed their furry friends. Supporters can make donations towards pet food so that no one is hungry or alone. The local chapter, Metro Meals on Wheels, addresses the needs of seniors in metropolitan Boise. Volunteers assist approximately 1,000 seniors every weekday and 700 seniors on weekends. Although Meals on Wheels receives federal support, it is severely underfunded. More than 80 percent of low-income and food insecure seniors do not receive the home delivered meals that they need. To raise money, Metro Meals on Wheels partnered with Blue Cross of...

Yardi is again the title sponsor of the upcoming Miles for Moms 5K, a fun run and walk on Mothr’s Day weekend that will benefit Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. The run will take place on Saturday, May 11, the day before Mother’s Day. Participants are encouraged to walk with or in honor of mothers by Cottage Hospital organizers. The route of the 5K will be familiar to many lunchtime joggers at Yardi’s corporate headquarters. Beginning at the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital parking lot at 351 S. Patterson Ave., the 5K route will travel south on Patterson and onto the Atascadero Creek Trail (Obern Trail). The route will turn back at Highway 217 and return to the hospital. A fun run for kids will also be part of the morning events, and registration is free for kids under 12. Prizes will be awarded to the top fundraiser, as well as first place prizes to female and male runners. All moms participating in the event will receive a special gift and various raffle prizes will be given away. A DJ will play music for the entire duration of the event. To register, visit the event registration site. Watch a recap video from the inaugural 2018...

Food is essential. For children, it can make the difference between growing strong and capable or struggling much of their lives. TABLE is a nonprofit organization that provides healthy emergency food aid each week to children in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC. Their work changes lives, and Yardi is proud to help. Addressing the Problem Food insecurity hits hard in North Carolina. It is ranked among the top eight states that have statistically higher food insecurity rates than the US national average. In the state, 80 percent of households with kids that are receiving food assistance don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Families make tough choices to survive. About 35 percent of families in need must choose between paying for food and housing costs. More than 40 percent must decide between buying food and heating their homes. Children are among the most vulnerable populations. In North Carolina, 30 percent of people receiving emergency food aid are under the age of 18. Nearly 25 percent of those kids are under the age of five. It’s a lot of data to swallow. The repercussions on hunger linger under the data. As children repeatedly lack access to nutritious food, their physical and mental well-being suffer. The consequences of hunger include an inability to focus, low academic performance, and chronic headaches and belly aches. TABLE steps in to fill the voids. Thoughtful and effective programming helps kids feel their best and fulfill their potential. Education at Work Providing nourishment is only a part of TABLE programming. The organization offers educational classes and activities to help kids sustain a healthy lifestyle. The Weekend Meal Backpack and Summer TABLE programs provide food for kids when they are not in school to receive free or reduced meals. Kids...

Have you ever wondered how food banks get fresh produce and meats to people in need? Such perishable items require special care and the work of dedicated volunteers. Yardi Raleigh employees endured the winter temperatures to provide nutritious meals for the hungry. A Lasting Relationship Yardi Raleigh has been a proud sponsor of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (CENC) for several years. Its simple yet vital mission to feed the hungry has spoken to the hearts of Yardi team members. They have dedicated their time, energy, and resources the cause. Their work is needed now more than ever. The nonprofit services about 600,000 people across 34 counties in the state. Through its care, children, seniors, and other vulnerable groups receive nutritious food, clean water, and the educational resources needed for self-sufficiency. In emergencies, such as recent natural disasters, Food Bank CENC acts as a first responder. As soon a safe pathways are cleared, the Food Bank opens its branches and satellite locations to provide food to those displaced by flooding, hurricanes, and other acts of nature. Yardi continues to support Food Bank CENC with a recent volunteer initiative in rather frosty conditions. Yep. That’s Cold. In the past, Yardi Raleigh team members have made financial contributions, sorted goods, and packed boxes for Food Bank CENC. The most recent visit the food pantry proved to be a bone chilling yet heart warming experience! Rather than packing non-perishable goods, Yardi Raleigh got a taste of the meat freezer. Volunteers Rose Hiebert, David Minehart, Steve Sharpe and Mike Harrison were responsible for packing 230 boxes of perishable items such as frozen poultry, beef and pork. That’s nearly 7,400 pounds of meat! The proteins will be a part of 6,100 balanced meals to feed...

Food strengthens the body and propels the mind. Yet one in six residents of Ventura County struggle with food insecurity. Seniors are among the vulnerable population. The local food bank and volunteers work together to end hunger, helping seniors thrive in their golden years. Ventura County Food Insecurity An inability to access healthy food impacts multiple areas of a person’s life. Hardworking people must make daily sacrifices that affect their health and wellbeing.  Of the food insecure in Ventura County, 69 percent must choose between food and utilities. More than 65 percent must choose between food and medical care Among the food insecure that must make those tough calls, roughly 46,650 are seniors. Ventura County’s Agency on Aging reports that “approximately 39 percent of all elders aged 65 and older do not have enough income to meet their most basic needs.” The inaccessibility of fresh, nutritious food leads to a reliance on more affordable but less healthy options. As a result of this and other factors, 58 percent of households have a member with high blood pressure with 77 percent occurring in senior homes. About 33 percent of households in the county have a member with diabetes with 47 percent in senior households. Volunteering with Food Share Food Share of Ventura County aims to improve seniors’ quality of life. Each year, Food Share stores and distributes nearly 11 million pounds of food to those in need. The Food Share program serves nutritious meals to 74,500 people every month, about 3,100 of which are seniors. Senior programming prepares boxes of food including items such as canned fruits, vegetables, salmon, cereal, milk, peanut butter, fruit juice, and spaghetti. The nonprofit organization relies on the help of 190 pantry partners as well as volunteers. Ten Yardi Santa...

For most young children, toys are an essential highlight for Christmas. The thrill of unwrapping a surprise brings excitement. Playing with the toys, of course, prolongs the fun! But for some children, familial and financial difficulties threaten to hamper their holiday joy. Marine Toys for Tots strives to bring cheer to children in need. Toys for Tots Since 1947, Toys for Tots has provided holiday gifts for disadvantaged kids. The organization collects donations from community members and corporate sponsors. Social welfare offices, churches, and other community agencies help Toys for Tots coordinators identify families in need. On Christmas day, Marines deliver the donated gifts to eligible families. Nearly 40,000 servicemembers participate in the program each year. Their efforts have put 548 million toys into the hands of 251 million children. The United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) unit stationed at Luke Airforce Base proudly serves the Toys for Tots program of Maricopa County. The 9,400 square-mile space is home to more than 3,800,000 people. Nearly 16 percent of that population is living below the poverty level. USMC Toys for Tots helps make the holidays a little brighter for such families. Supporting Local Children Each year, Yardi offices across the nation participate in Toys for Tots programs. In 2018, the Yardi Scottsdale office donated four large shopping carts full of toys to USMCR Toys for Tots. As a result of team members’ generosity, children of all ages enjoyed toys and games for Christmas. “This is at least the eight year we have hosted a toy drive in the holiday season. Every year, it continues to grow as we grow,” said Peter Kolaczynski, Manager, Matrix at Yardi. He believes that the corporate culture at Yardi inspires employees to give back on a personal level. “Yardi as...

More than 85 million people worldwide have been made homeless by natural disaster and conflict. That’s more than every resident of California, Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina combined. ShelterBox offers survival tools for displaced families in their time of need. ShelterBox: Transforming Despair into Hope ShelterBox specializes in mobile shelters and supplies for emergency relief efforts. The UK-based organization has provided vital aid in 21 countries. In 2017, more than 162,000 people received ShelterBox assistance. Each aid experience is customized for the needs of the recipients. Emergency packages may include tents, building supplies, fresh water, solar lights, mosquito nets, and blankets. School kits help to mend the learning gap caused when access to education is interrupted. ShelterBox supplies empower recipients in a variety of ways: • 82% of surveyed beneficiaries said that they felt safer in the shelter they repaired or rebuilt using aid provided by ShelterBox. • 85% of surveyed beneficiaries agreed that receiving aid from ShelterBox meant they were warmer at night. • 88% of surveyed beneficiaries said that they had more privacy for themselves and their family after they had received aid from ShelterBox. Yardi + ShelterBox ShelterBox USA recently hosted a Lunch & Learn session with corporate sponsor, Yardi. The Yardi Santa Barbara office broke the Lunch & Learn attendance record with 45 attendees. Lunch and Learn featured a presentation by ShelterBox President Kerri Murray. Attendees received an overview of one of the organization’s popular innovations, The Standard Relief Tent. This waterproof tent protects its inhabitants from UV rays, winds up to 100kmh, and heavy rainfall. Inhabitants stay dry, even when exterior standing water levels reach up to six inches. While keeping the elements out, the tent maintains comfortable conditions inside. A unique ventilation system creates a 10-degree temperature...

Yardi Scottsdale Charity Committee recently hosted a ceremony honoring the recipients of its 2018 charitable grants. The contributions demonstrate Yardi’s mission to “take care of our communities” in action. Each recipient is a nonprofit nominated and approved by Yardi Scottsdale employees. Arizona Burn Foundation The Arizona Burn Foundation mission is to “improve the quality of life of burn survivors and their families while promoting burn prevention education in Arizona.”  The organization provides child burn survivors with physical, psychological, emotional and social support. Services include reconstructive treatment, family assistance, survivor and family camps, counseling, and prevention and education programs in the community. Upon nominating the Arizona Burn Foundation, a Scottsdale employee wrote, “My step son is a burn victim. He suffered third degree burns over his entire body when he was just 1 year old. The Arizona Burn Foundation has been a part of our lives for many years. My family volunteers and provides support for other families that are just starting the recovery process.” Eve’s Place Eve’s Place specializes in “supporting any victim of domestic, sexual and teen dating abuse by increasing access to services through mobile advocacy.” The organization has helped victims to restart their lives outside of the circle of abuse. Participants receive assistance with safety planning, goal setting, and obtaining shelter.  Personal advocates and support groups help victims of abuse to rebuild their esteem and sense of purpose. To help victims attain justice, Eve’s Place also offers support and information on various legal topics within the civil and criminal justice systems. Heart Encouragement Heart Encouragement assists individuals suffering from cancer and provides support and encouragement for them and their loved ones during their cancer journey. The broad spectrum of care services empowers cancer patients and their families in a variety of...

Looking for a way to get more involved with the local community? Move for Hunger is a nonprofit that connects you, your residents, and your local food bank. Move for Hunger partners with the American Moving and Storage Association to get nonperishable food into the hands of those in need. Before relocating, residents coordinate with their moving company to deliver unwanted goods to local food banks. To date, the organization has transported more than 11,479, 245 pounds of food to food banks. The donations created 9,566,038 meals for people facing food insecurity. You and your residents can get in on the giving! Arranging a Move for Hunger Donation Setting up a Move for Hunger donation is incredibly simple. First, residents must find a participating professional mover. There are more than 1,000 to choose from across the United States. (And since residents are relocating, anyway, this step is super practical.) The residents and the mover will set up their moving date. While the residents are packing their belongings, they set aside the nonperishable items that they’d like to donate. On the day of the move, the mover will transport the nonperishable food to the nearest local food bank. Benefits for Residents Residents are looking for a way to quickly and easily clean out their unit. Move for Hunger helps them do just that. • All the food that they can’t eat before the move is relocated, rather than tossed in the trash. Donating the unwanted food requires no additional legwork for residents. • The food pick-up may potentially minimize the cost of the move! By donating items in the fridge, pantry, and cabinets there will be fewer boxes to move while residents are being charged. Benefits for You! By promoting Move for Hunger, you’re doing...

In September 2018, Hurricane Florence left disaster in its wake. Low-lying towns along the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts received the worst of the damages. In the months to come, the storm would unite the region in one of its darkest hours. Hurricane Florence dumped 30-36 inches of rain on the region in two days. The rainfall caused catastrophic flooding. Cape Fear River, which runs nearly 200 miles from the Atlantic to Wilsonville, crested 62 feet. Nearby rivers and creeks also flooded, submerging homes, destroying businesses and washing out two interstates. About 350, 000 people were without power in North Carolina. At least 43 people lost their lives in storm-related events. Following the bleak aftermath came a surge of hope. Assistance poured in from throughout the nation, with the strongest concentration of aid coming from neighboring states. Food, clothing, and supplies began to make their way to those in need. On the ground, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (FBCENC) and its 100 partner agencies were among the first to channel the aid and help communities recover. Volunteer Services Coordinator Michael McKay said, “You see an outpouring of love at this time, during a disaster. It’s amazing that we see so many people here to help out.” FBCENC set up more than 85 contact points in the hardest hit areas. “We’re going to be here for you,” said Michael Cotten, Branch Director at FBCENC. “The Food Bank is a first responder and we’re going to be here in the long term.” Yardi corporate contributed funds to FBCENC to support relief programs. “While the efforts are far from over, we have been able to provide more than 5.5 million pounds of food and supplies to our neighbors over the past two months...

The second annual Santa Barbara Gives! (SB Gives!) is now underway. This holiday fundraiser and competition is a fun way to unite local donors and nonprofits. When their efforts are combined, Santa Barbara thrives. So, What’s This All About? SB Gives! aims to motivate philanthropy by highlighting innovative nonprofits. Readers can explore the nonprofits’ missions on the SB Gives! website. Once inspired, readers are encouraged to donate to their nonprofit(s) of choice. Of course, a little friendly competition keeps things interesting. SB Gives! features a leaderboard to show which nonprofit has raised the most funds to date. Donations are tracked in real time! What’s the Skinny on EqualiTech? Among the noteworthy nonprofits stands EqualiTech, the brain child of math teacher Danny Fitzgibbons. Through his studies and career, he learned of the disparity that occurs between children with early access to technology and those without. Learning gaps are evident as early as kindergarten. Fitzgibbons wanted to create a program that provided access to critical technologies regardless of socioeconomic status. Today, EqualiTech makes technology accessible to residents of Goleta and nearby neighborhoods. The organization aims to improve computer literacy by providing public computer access at Goleta Valley Tech Center. The site is staffed by a bilingual manager and instructor who is available to answer questions and work one on one with patrons who need help. At the center, students learn basic computer skills such as typing, navigating a computer, and creating and managing an email account. Students can also receive help with special projects like website design and resolving hardware issues. Students’ time at EqualiTech is meant to be fun and practical. Naturally, students learn how to keep in touch with loved ones via social media. Of equal importance, they learn tips and tricks on how to...

Each day, millions of kids rely on the National Breakfast and Lunch Programs. More than 11.6 million free breakfasts and 20 million free lunches help students reach their potential on school days. Such meal assistance is not available to kids in need on weekends. That’s when the Inter-faith Food Shuttle lends a helping hand. Transforming “Waste” Into Meals Inter-faith Food Shutter is an innovative nonprofit based in Raleigh, N.C. The organization disrupts the standard American food cycle, which is rife with waste. More than 40 percent of food that is grown and processed never makes it to families’ tables. Up to 75 percent of produce, for example, is sent to the trash simply because of its appearance. Rather than throwing away more 6 million pounds of local food, Inter-faith Foo d Shutter reroutes the groceries to homes in need. Food is procured from 350 donors including retail donations, volunteer food drives, commercial field gleaning, and the nonprofit’s teaching farm. Yardi Raleigh Preps Meals for Kids Backpack Buddies, an Inter-faith Food Shuttle program, uses rescued food to feed Raleigh’s youth. The program provides 10-12 pounds of food to children from low-income households. The nutritious food is intended to help children through the weekends when free school meals are not available. Each Backpack Buddies bag includes enough food for six meals and two snacks: two proteins, two vegetables, one fruit, two packs of noodles, two milks, one 100% fruit juice and two snacks. Local volunteers help to stuff the backpacks for delivery. Yardi Raleigh rose to the challenge. The Help Desk community service crew turned their team outing into a volunteer opportunity. Volunteers included Ashley Godshalk, Brian Baker, Doug Thompson, Elliott Arnold, Kelly Haygarth, Michelle Gardner, Nick Gennaro, Rashida Lassiter, Utica Cason and Yolanda Eaton. “Team work...

Earlier this month, Team Yardi Australia headed to Bondi in Sydney. Switching out their laptops and phones for kitchen knives and potato peelers, the team spent the afternoons volunteering at Our Big Kitchen (OBK). OBK is about more than food, it’s a community kitchen with a soul. Created in 2000, its designed to help those in need; whether they’re going through a hard time, need a hand getting started, or are just looking for a place that provides a warm and nurturing environment. It aims not just to provide a community to its volunteers, but to help look after the millions of Australians going hungry every day. Despite being “the lucky country,” 2.2 million people in Australia go without food every year. Of those, tens of thousands come from New South Wales. OBK is on a mission to help those people, working closely with organisations such as SecondBite and Foodbank to minimize food waste and turn fresh produce into a home cooked meal. These meals are then distributed to the homeless and to regional shelters, including refuges for women and children, domestic violence shelters, asylum seekers, and more. Last year, OBK distributed over 80,000 meals to those in need. “The experience  gave all the people involved a sense of reality of how good a lot of us have it in life. Giving a little bit of our time helped 200 people that day. I recommend everyone gives a little to people in need, just like we did. It was a truly uplifting experience,” said Brook Baker, regional director, Australia and New Zealand sales. For the Yardi team, the afternoons represented an opportunity to give back, whilst learning more about the darker side of the city they live in. George Karounis, founder of OBK,  shared...

The Yardi Raleigh TKO group recently participated in a notable local event to raise awareness and research funds for mental illness: the 30th annual Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope. Team members who walked for the cause were Blair Kramer, Sean Bryant, Pam Davison, Karen Gibson, Jim Hill, Mimi Hill, Trevor Hyde, Chuck Justice, Kimberly Wood, Victoria Parsons, Travis Taliaferro and Rich Stevenson. The group raised $2,583 to contribute to the Walk for Hope Foundation. Founded by a well-known Raleigh family after their son was diagnosed bipolar disorder, The Walk for Hope Foundation has awarded 139 scientific research grants totaling more than $5.7 million. These funds have leveraged an additional $145 million from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) and other federal agencies. The TKO team’s participation in the walk has a personal and professional connection. “We lost a co-worker to suicide and the office was stunned. No one knew there was a mental health issue. Since that time, we have worked hard to support one another and have found that supporting causes like the Walk for Hope and the Foundation of Hope is a great way to support our community and help reduce the stigma that is unfortunately still attached to mental illness,” explained Kimberly Wood, a P2P Consultant on the team. “We reach out to one another when we sense someone is struggling. The Walk for Hope is a fun event, but it is rooted in very strong memories of Tim Owens, who we still miss to this day.” Learn more about the Walk for Hope Foundation and their year round events to fundraise for mental illness research. Yard is Energized for Good! Learn more about the company’s philanthropic and volunteer efforts around the U.S. and the world...

For 44 years, Santa Barbara-based Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International has been providing restorative eyesight care around the globe. The non-profit organization, founded by local ophthalmologists in 1974, relies on volunteers, grants and donors to make its important work of reducing preventable blindness possible. And as it heads toward 50 years, SEE is endeavoring to treat more patients than ever before. “There are 36 million people in the world who are blind, up to 75 percent of those are blind from preventable conditions,” said Matt Wheeler, vice president of communications for SEE. “One of the major problems is that 80 percent of these people are living in areas of the world where access to care is not available.” Cataracts, one of the leading causes of blindness, can often easily be treated – but patients must have access to qualified ophthalmologists who can perform a simple surgery. Partnering with local ophthalmologists in every region where they work, SEE volunteers made 250 trips to over 40 countries this year, and performed 40,000 sight restoring surgeries. Volunteer doctors pay for all of their own travel and housing expenses and receive no pay for their work. By 2020, SEE aims to perform 100,000 surgeries a year. In the course of the organization’s existence, volunteers have conducted 4 million eye exams and performed a half million surgeries. Other work includes training regional doctors on cataract surgery techniques, providing supplies for clinics that don’t have access to proper materials, and conducting preventative eye exams in impoverished areas. In assessing the support it has received from corporate sponsors over the years, SEE staff realized that one Santa Barbara-based company was unique in terms of longevity and generosity of support – and happened to be a close neighbor, too. “Our leadership was...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Santa Barbara County’s Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) has planned weekly events to bring this societal epidemic out of the shadows and into the light.   Candlelight vigils to bring attention to the prevalence of domestic violence across America are set for Lompoc (Oct. 11), Santa Maria (Oct. 18) and Santa Barbara (Oct. 25). Since its start in 1977, DVS has aimed to educate the public while creating a pathway of hope for those who experience domestic abuse firsthand. It is Santa Barbara County’s only full-service domestic violence agency, committed to ending the cycle of domestic violence through prevention and intervention services. With support from state and federal funds, grants and corporate and private donations, DVS provides the county’s only 24-hour shelter service, as well as the county’s only transitional housing program for domestic violence survivors. To fully illustrate its impact and the need for such services in Santa Barbara County, in 2017 DVS: Answered almost 5,000 calls to its 24-hour crisis and information lines Provided 4,687 safe nights to victims of domestic violence Responded to over 472 calls from law enforcement and emergency rooms at the victims’ location Participated in 244 educational and outreach events throughout the community Sheltered as many children as adult victims of domestic violence The Yardi Foundation is a longtime support of DVS’ work to help domestic violence survivors and their families get back on their feet, and educate the community at large about how to stop the pervasive cycle of violence. “We’re very grateful for the support we’ve gotten from Yardi. They’re a wonderful Santa Barbara company and we truly appreciate their contributions,” said DVS executive director Jan Campbell, the former chief philanthropic officer of the Santa Barbara Foundation. Campbell, who took...