On a cool October morning, Raleigh community members congregated outside of Angus Barn Restaurant. They weren’t there for the restaurant’s award-winning steak or stellar service. More than 3,800 people gathered to participate in the Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope. As Foundation of Hope’s premiere fundraiser, the organization has raised more than $3.8 million for the research and treatment of mental illness. Yardi Vice President of Client Services Greg Smith recruited a team of 10 representatives from various departments. United by matching gray t-shirts inscribed TKO, the Raleigh office joined Walk for Hope to honor the memory of the late Tim K. Owens. “Tim was one of the nicest guys that you could ever meet,” recalls Greg. “He was easy to be friends with and he had this great, adventuresome spirit: he rode motorcycles, played guitar, and loved to travel to exotic locations.” When Tim wasn’t at enjoying his hobbies, he served Yardi as a manager of Client Services. He was an incredibly hard worker, appreciated by his colleagues and popular with clients. But Tim’s momentum ended too soon. “His battle with depression eventually led him to take his own life,” says Greg. Tim’s untimely death shocked the Raleigh office. Many Walk for Hope participants share similar stories of struggle and loss. It’s a common thread that Shelley Belk would like to see severed. As the Executive Director of Foundation of Hope, Shelley strives to see a community that is united in victory over mental illness. “One of the biggest problems with mental health is that people aren’t getting the help that they need because of the stigma,” Shelley explains. “We need people to understand that just like a heart that’s not working properly, a brain may not be working properly and there...

When it comes to making a splash with corporate philanthropic efforts, Midwestern luxury multifamily owner, developer and manager  Village Green is jumping into the pool feet first. That’s not an analogy, either. Their property managers and associates  at 160 properties in 13 states literally jump into swimming pools to help raise funds for worthwhile local charities. Splash Day, marking the first day of “open pool” season, has been a company institution since 1991 and has raised over $500,000 for local Ronald McDonald House Charities in each of Village Green’s seven regions And that’s just one effort of many they make to support non-profits and  organizations of many kinds. While the history of Village Green dates all the way back to 1919, current CEO Jonathan Holtzman is credited with providing strong leadership. “Jon Holtzman is really into giving back to the communities that we serve,” said Jacqueline Trost, Director of Public Relations for Village Green. “He has spearheaded the initiatives with national organizations we donate to, and there is regional and hyper-local coordination as well.” Village Green has more than 1,250 associates who operate out of seven main regions: Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Dallas, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. Last year, it delivered some exciting news – each employee would annually be allotted 8 hours of paid time to contribute to a charity or volunteer effort of their choosing. That’s just one day out of the year per person, but it can make a huge impact – if every associate takes advantage of the program, Village Green is giving back 10,000 man hours – or 250 full work weeks of donated time. Employees served the hungry at the local rescue missions and soup kitchens, adopted families in need during the holidays, packed food  at various food...

Small Paws® Rescue Inc. is a celebrity among animal rescue organizations, sort of like a small breed’s version of Pit Bulls and Parolees Villalobos Rescue Center. With two features on Animal Planet and several spots on the local news, the bichon rescue organization has made headlines for its heartfelt efforts throughout the country. Small Paws® Rescue Inc is the largest breed rescue in the country, specializing in the rescue and rehabilitation of Bishons. Small Paws is to the rescue, whether they receive a phone call from an owner who can no longer take care of their pet or they must venture into puppy mills, shelters, and abandoned homes.  More than 800 volunteers dedicate their time, efforts, and resources to the wellbeing of the pint-sized pups. Yardi Department of Operations Manager Doug Ressler is one such volunteer. He came to know the organization through fellow Bichon owners in his Scottsdale, AZ community. “We came in contact with many Bichon owners and volunteers who introduced us to the Small Paws® Rescue Inc. organization and they exposed us to the great number of pets in need and distress,” says Doug. Soon after, Doug and his wife Jane began donating and volunteering. They have transported dogs, assisted in pet wellness activities, fostered and adopted pets in need. One such adoption provided Doug and Jane with a blend of bittersweet humor. They adopted Missy in 2010. She had been abandoned by her previous owners. The Bichon Frise took up residence beneath her old home and was eventually discovered by Small Paws® Rescue Inc. volunteer Derek Phelps. As a result of her neglect, Missy suffered from many health issues including canine PTSD. Doug elected to provide a home for Missy and discovered an interesting tendency on their first trip home:...

As 2013 wound to a close, natural disasters both abroad and at home were devastating for the Philippines – where Typhoon Haiyan killed nearly 6,000 people – and in Illinois, where tornadoes destroyed more than 400 homes. Both events occurred in November and were fast-moving and unexpected, leaving tremendous destruction behind. Yardi Systems has a long track record of providing financial assistance to disaster victims, and that tradition continued after these catastrophic events. Typhoon Haiyan To reach families who lost their homes and were without access to clean water following the typhoon, Yardi contributed to ShelterBox USA, a disaster support non-profit that is rooted in Rotary volunteerism. Based in Florida, ShelterBox committed to send 6,000 ShelterBox kits, which include a tent, water purification system, and other supplies to help people who have been left with nothing after a disaster.  More than 2,100 families have already received their ShelterBoxes. The organization will spend more than $2 million on the effort. Yardi contributed $100,000. Volunteers accompany the boxes to the disaster site and train the recipients on how to use the water system and set up the temporary shelter, where they can stay while they get back on their feet. The tents can house an extended family, accommodating up to eight people. “We’re trying to find the more remote, hard-to-reach areas, places where international aid organizations might not be able to access,” said Erin Holdgate, ShelterBox Donor Relations and Communications Coordinator. The non-profit has 24 volunteers on the ground in the Philippines, based in Manila, Bantayan Island, Cebu City, Leyte Island and Bohol.  Holdgate said that they have reported profound gratitude on the part of the typhoon survivors, who can’t imagine that people from far away who have never met them would want to help. Listen...

Editor’s note: This guest post comes to us thanks to Patricia Marroquin, a Senior Writer for the UCSB Graduate Division. This post originally appeared on GradPost, the division’s online news magazine, which often features stories about exemplary alumni. Yardi COO Gordon Morrell certainly falls into that category, as do many of our Yardi team members. Read on for the profile and find the full interview on gradpost.ucsb.edu. Gordon Morrell has been juggling roles for decades, going back to his days as an Education Ph.D. student at UCSB in the 1970s. At that time, in the halls outside their tiny graduate student offices in what is now the Hosford Clinic, he and several of his cohorts would take breaks from their studies and do a little three-ball juggling. “We actually got to the point where we could pass to each other,” Morrell recalled with a laugh, adding: “It was a stress breaker; it was like a little relief.” In explaining why this routine was helpful for the grad students, he said, “You have to really focus when you’re juggling. You can’t be thinking about other things. So maybe it’s just a good way to get your mind off what you’re doing.” That focus and work-life balance has served Morrell well. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised along with his older brother in Goshen, a small farming town north of New York City, he earned his Education Ph.D. (Counseling Psychology emphasis) in three years at UCSB. “I went straight through from kindergarten to Ph.D.,” he said. “There were no breaks.” He put himself through college by singing and playing guitar in such local venues as The Feed Store restaurant and bar in Santa Barbara (no longer in existence); SOhO; and Cold Spring Tavern. Morrell’s career path...

For the third year, NMHC will be hosting a charity 3K walk/5K run during the Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, Florida on January 23rd.  Launched in 2012, the signature “Walk For Our Troops” fundraiser has been a resounding success. During the first year, NMHC raised $61,000 in member donations for the Wounded Warrior Project, a program that aids veterans who suffered service related injuries on or after September 11, 2001. In 2013, the event grew to an even grander scale when NMHC members and firms donated over $165,000 to the Folds of Honor Foundation, a national non-profit organization that offers scholarships to dependents and spouses of military servicemen and women killed or disabled while serving our nation.  The 3rd annual “Walk For Our Troops” will benefit Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) which raises money in support of cycling programs to benefit the mental and physical rehabilitation of veterans at military and VA locations around the U.S. Setting this year apart from previous years is the very personal relationship NMHC has with the program. Clay Hunt, son of NMHC Executive Member Stacy Hunt, was involved in the program joining R2R cycling trips with other veterans. Clay was a Marine Corporal who earned a Purple Heart after being wounded in Iraq and a year later deployed with an elite sniper unit to Afghanistan. When Clay returned home he performed humanitarian work in Haiti and Chile and lobbied for veterans on Capitol Hill.  Regrettably, in 2011 at the age of only 28 Clay lost his battle with PTSD. “Because the program was important to him, it was a way to shine a light on the posttraumatic stress disorder issue. People can come back missing limbs but it’s the psychological mental issues that really are as important, if not more,...

Make-A-Wish operates on a simple premise: every child deserves the hope, strength, and joy that comes with a dream fulfilled. The idea of Make-A-Wish spread like wildfire after the first wish was granted in 1980.  Seven year-old Chris Greicius yearned to become a police officer. His battle with leukemia posed a threat to his dream. Family friend, Officer Tommy Austin, and the team at the Arizona Department of Public Safety would not settle for a dream deferred. They arranged a special experience just for Chris including a custom made uniform, a city tour via helicopter, three cruisers and a motorcycle to escort him through town, and the title of honorary patrolman. As icing on the cake, Chris was tested for motorcycle proficiency, passed, and earned wings to pin to his new uniform. Regardless of his life-threatening illness, Chris fulfilled his dream. Chris’ experience sparked an outpouring of support. Make-A-Wish has blossomed ever since, granting the wishes of over 250,000 children with life-threatening conditions. The Georgia Chapter has fulfilled nearly 6,000 of those wishes since 1995. It expects to grant 425 wishes this fiscal year. Kari Love, Vice President of Corporate Development & Events of Make-A-Wish Atlanta, believes that the nonprofit can rise to its goals. She has been an advocate of the cause long before she began her career with Make-A-Wish. “I’ve always had a heart for nonprofit work,” she explains. “I loved the foundation’s mission before I was on staff.” Kari previously worked as a marketing director for radio.  In 1997, the radio station completed a holiday fundraising campaign on behalf of Make-A-Wish. “I fell in love with their mission and a few years later I had the opportunity to work here. I’ve been fundraising with Make-A-Wish ever since!” The mission of Make-A-Wish...

Every year, local chapters of United Way host Day of Caring festivals throughout the nation. These celebrations promote the value of volunteerism while shining light on community service programs, civic agencies, and human-interest organizations. Saturday, September 28th marked Santa Barbara’s 22nd annual United Way Day of Caring. Yardi employees joined forces with more than 1,000 local volunteers of various ages to support 60 nonprofits. To kick off the festivities, attendees were treated to breakfast at Ben Page Youth Center. The meal was followed by a pep rally including a marching band, dancers, cheerleaders, and morale-boosting speeches by local leadership. K-lite emcees Catherine Remak and Gary Fruin, as well as elected official First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal spoke at the event. After the pep rally, attendees switched into high gear. Yardi team members focused their efforts on Home Play Learning kits. These packages were invented by the United Way Neighborhood Parent Education Project to help give pre-school age children a jump start on learning. Multimedia tools including story books, craft supplies, and games to develop memory and cognitive skills were combined into handy packages. Each kit also came with a bilingual letter with tips for parents that will guide them in fun ways to use the kits, helping to stimulate children’s learning at home. The packages will be delivered to local low-income families who are enrolled in United Way’s Best Parenting Practices Program. Other Day of Caring activities allowed volunteers to share their strengths while helping the community in a variety of ways. Some volunteers gathered for a beautification project at Casa Esperanza homeless shelter, improving landscaping on the grounds. Another group of volunteers got down and dirty as well, creating adobe bricks to be used by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (image,...

It’s a time of transition for the Unity Shoppe, the food and clothing clearinghouse for people in need in greater Santa Barbara. In the process of moving to a new building on Sola Street, the loss of their longtime facility on Victoria (adjacent to the Victoria Hall) has been a setback. But with a clearly delineated path to recovery, it is clear that the well-known non-profit will quickly recover, aided by help from its community of friends. Barbara Tellefson, Director of Operations for the 97-year-old program, has a way of telling the Unity Shoppe story that sounds like she is talking about her own family. And in fact, Tellefson’s strong passion for the work accomplished by Unity Shoppe is rooted in her own life, growing up in the U.S. as the daughter of German immigrants. Her family didn’t have much, and her parents did not want to ask for assistance. The situation is the same for many of the families Unity Shoppe serves. With 11,000 families who make 71,000 visits to the Unity Shoppe warehouse each year, the charity helps with basic day-to-day needs like food and clothing, while helping clients keep their dignity intact. While they are receiving aid, the parents – usually mothers –  who “shop” for free groceries and clothes at the Shoppe are able to remain providers for their children. A total of 24,000 local residents benefit from Unity Shoppe services annually. “We’re letting them come choose the things they need. That makes them look good in front of their children. Their children see them shopping, like a normal mother,” Tellefson explained. Tellefson explains how important it is to meet clients on their own terms; “Giving isn’t doing what I want to do. Giving is doing what a family needs...

Corporate philanthropy and personal volunteerism are vital components of Yardi’s corporate culture, which reaches around the globe. In Pune, home to Yardi’s India office, two teams of employees from the YES and rcash divisions of the company selected a local non-profit organization to benefit from their efforts. Green Hills Group is a volunteer-based effort to turn more vegetation and healthy landscaping to the open spaces around Pune in an effort to combat pollution, poor air quality and global warming. Focusing efforts on rain water harvesting and tree planting, Green Hills Group needs significant volunteer power to carry out the work at hand at a low to no cost. Employees from Yardi were committed to helping out. “Many times, we see that we quickly contribute in terms of financial assistance, but we do not give up our personal time. We found this as great opportunity to contribute in terms of giving of our personal time for social cause,” said Pratima Deshpande, one of the Yardi employees who participated in the project. Each team member contributed two hours per month to the project. The Hanuman Hills and the Chatushrungi Hills, two of the areas that Green Hills Group is working to restore, happen to surround Yardi’s Pune office. So those contributing their time are able to see the result of the project efforts when they arrive and depart from work each day. Work includes development of a Continuous Contour Trench to be used for rainwater harvesting, preparing soil beds for planting, building tanks and drip-irrigation to self-water the trees in the future, after they reach more than 500 in number. A portion of the trees in the project are fruit trees, and produce from the trees is harvested by volunteers to deliver to needy Pune children and...

When a devastating tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma in May, Yardi’s Stacy Blanchard, a strategic client account executive in the Dallas, Texas, office, was moved to act. She thought of raising funds to donate to a clearinghouse aid agency like the Red Cross or United Way, but decided that what she really wanted to do was help a family, face to face. Utilizing the power of social media, Stacy reached out to a friend in Moore who hadn’t lost her home, but knew many people who had. An estimated 1,150 homes were lost, 24 people died, and $2 billion in damage was incurred in the storm. For Keri and Mike Wilson and their family, losing their home was awful, but the safety of their teenage children, who were home when the tornado touched down and decimated most of their neighborhood, was paramount. Drew and Sydney, their children, took shelter in the laundry room during the storm. It was the only part of the house that remained standing. Sydney’s car ended up upside down in the back yard. Keri Wilson described her home as reduced to “bricks and sticks.” Mobilized to action, Stacy spent time talking to Keri and learning the details of her story. As a mother of two, she was moved by the terror of a fellow mom who wasn’t able to learn for more than two hours whether or not her children were OK. Keri described how when she was finally able to make contact with her parents, who had been able to reach her home, she collapsed in sobbing relief. Once the stress of survival had passed, the Wilsons had to scramble to figure out where they would sleep and how they’d begin replacing a lifetime of household goods and valuables. Focusing...

For Yardi programmer Alexander Graf, spending time each week with his “little brother” should probably not be described as volunteer work. As he talks about his mentee through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Santa Barbara County (part of the nonprofit Family Service Agency), Alex tells stories as though he is talking about his own sibling. Hanging out with Jerry, his 10-year-old “little brother”, is clearly not a chore to him at all. Jerry came into Alex’s life just two years ago. Despite a very busy schedule filled with work and community activities, Alex makes time to see him every week. With four siblings and a large extended family, Jerry might not always have the chance to have an adult’s undivided attention focused just on him. During his outings with Alex, that changes. “It’s nice to be a positive influence on someone’s life. And it’s great to see the happiness in kids’ eyes when they get to do something they have never been able to do before. Most of the mentees are from low-income families, and they don’t always get a lot of individual attention,” Alex said. Alex and Jerry enjoy spending time together at the Santa Barbara Zoo, the batting cages, local parks, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.  Alex has realized that Jerry might not respond if he simply tells him a story, but if you show him how to do something, like a chemistry experiment or how to make a balloon animal, he will be curious and probably want to participate. In turn, Jerry might not ask his Big Brother many questions about his own life, but he loves to tell Alex long, complicated stories that he makes up. Alex’s experience with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program...

Amy Bassett, Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Santa Barbara Symphony, knows how much difference music can make in the life of a child. She has experienced its power first-hand. Growing up in a very small town in Massachusetts, Amy was exposed to the power of music via television broadcasts of the Boston Pops, performing every Fourth of July at the Fireworks Spectacular on Boston’s Esplanade. The concert was televised statewide, and she would watch every year. Drawn to their performance, she became a musician, mastering the bassoon, and eventually earned a doctorate in musical arts. “For me, music was something that came into my life and helped me define and figure out who I was, and decide where I wanted to go,” said Bassett. Her musical talent and drive has taken her all over the United States, introduced her to interesting and accomplished people, and now allows her to play a role in sharing world-class music with the next generation. The Santa Barbara Symphony’s youth programs have a strong legacy that dates back a half-century. They expose local schoolchildren to the beauty and power of classic compositions, bring them to the historic Granada Theatre for performances, and offer participatory opportunities to children who have the talent and desire to take up an instrument. Over 100 volunteers help make the programming possible. “They are very excited,” Bassett said of the students who participate in the Symphony programs. “Many of them haven’t been exposed to it before, but with a little preparation and explanation, it goes a long way.” The Symphony’s education programs, which reach 4,500 students each year, include: The Music Van, which visits nearly 60 elementary schools across Santa Barbara County each year and gives 2200 third-graders the chance to learn...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The popular I’Madonnari Street Painting Festival brings more than 25,000 people to Mission Santa Barbara each Memorial Day Weekend to view amazing art – temporarily presented on asphalt in chalk, but as dramatic as paintings you might see in any museum. This year’s fun will take place May 25-27, so mark your calendars. Not only is the weekend an amazing period of frenzied creativity and chalk dust on the artists’ clothes, but all the proceeds go to benefit a great local program, the Children’s Creative Project, which helps return arts programming and education to Central California’s budget strapped schools. Yardi is a sponsor of the event and  also a sponsor of the Children’s Creative Project, which has helped bring in school visual and performing arts education to more than 50,000 students at 100 school campuses. Students participate in the chalk art creation, working alongside talented professional artists, amateurs, and volunteers. Watch a cool time lapse video of the 2012 festival from start to finish: (Video created by Michael Brown Photography). Want to check out this year’s event? Visit the I’Madonnari website....

For Sharon Terry, CEO, establishing PXE International was not a matter of fulfilling a personal preference or a sense of adventure. The organization was created out of necessity. “We didn’t feel like we had a choice to start PXE,” she says. “We were completely compelled. If we didn’t do it, nothing would happen.” Nearly 20 years ago, Sharon discovered that both of her young children had pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), a rare genetic disease that affects the tissues of the eyes, skin, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. Sharon and her husband embarked on a whirlwind study of genetics to learn more about the disease and available treatments. At that time, they had woefully limited data to help them. Inconsistencies and contradictions riddled what little information they found. The Terrys decided to take matters into their own hands, initiating PXE International. Sharon details her account in the article, Learning Genetics. “We were starting from the ground up,” recalls Sharon. “Now, we are the world’s premiere organization for PXE research.” Since 1995, PXE International has encouraged and sponsored groundbreaking research while providing support for those affected by PXE. To date, the organization has raised more than $1.7 million for applied translational research, treatment development and product development. The organization also provides insurance advocacy for families who were previously denied coverage. Researchers have determined that PXE is triggered by a gene that is expressed primarily in the liver; recent research has shown that PXE is a metabolic disease like diabetes or phenylketonuria. The disease can ultimately cause skin problems, vision loss, and problems in the arteries. There is no certified treatment or cure for PXE, though recent clinical studies have made promising headway. PXE International is a collaborator in a study by Dr. Lebwohl of Mt. Sinai School of...

Phipps Community Development Corporation (Phipps CDC) is dedicated to creating programs that help lift families out of poverty. More than 40 programs provide New Yorkers with the tools needed for self-sufficiency and promising futures. Nancy Riedl, Director of Development and Communications, addresses the hurdles that many low-income families face, “Housing isn’t the only answer. Residents need other supportive services—education, career readiness and community resources—to propel them into successful and sustainable futures. Our programs address these issues,” she says. “Many people living in poverty haven’t been exposed to all of the resources that they need. We try to directly address those needs where we find them.” Each year, Phipps CDC assists more than 9,000 New Yorkers with a variety of resources to meet their unique needs. Youth Education To break the cycle of poverty, Phipps CDC begins working with expectant parents and those with young children in its Early Head Start program. Classes are held in clients’ homes or at community centers, helping parents prepare their homes, finances, and social lives for the joys and challenges of parenting. More than 1,000 children ages 5-13 partake in Phipps CDC after-school programs. Volunteers and staff offer homework assistance, computer instruction, and guidance in the visual and performing arts, culinary arts, environmental studies and sports. The activities encourage kids to set goals, work in teams, and practice self-discipline. As a result, youth discover the skills needed to build confidence, become stronger students and take leadership positions among their peers. Phipps CDC youth programs extend beyond the school year and into the vacation months. Each summer, more than 600 families participate in camps that strengthen the body and the mind. Full-day camps pull youth away from the televisions and provide a safe, structured environment in which they can thrive....

Nearly six months after Hurricane Sandy swept the east coast, thousands of Long Island residents struggle to pulls their lives out of the rubble. The dire need for assistance remains. Many aid organizations have withdrawn from the region, piling a daunting load upon the few organizations that remain. Island Harvest is one of the few nonprofits that have endured in Long Island, providing food assistance to those hardest hit by the storm. Nicole Kowaleski, Vice President of Development, recalls the spike in aid requests that followed in the wake of super storm Sandy, “In the past, we gave to 570 agencies that then helped about 300,000 people in need. After the hurricane, 90,000 additional people were in need; five months later, 30,000 of them are still displaced in addition to the population that we regularly serve.” Kowaleski maintains a level head about the extent of residents’ need. She estimates that relief efforts will continue for at least another 18 months. “We’re targeting people in the hardest hit part of Long Island, the south shore. We’re making sure that every single person has their needs met. We give out food, water, and snacks–not just to the residents but also to first responders at pop-up sites throughout the area,” she explains. “We let people know who we are, let them know that we are here for them and that we are a resource for them.” Rising to the occasion has posed a series of challenges for Island Harvest staff and volunteers. Several member agencies, which act as extensions of the organization, were disabled by the storm and remain inoperable. Island Harvest is helping member agencies get back on their feet. Once those agencies recover, they will be able to contribute more fully towards the cause. Standard...

Passage Home assists the impoverished, the previously incarcerated, and recovery program participants on their path to self-sufficiency through stable housing and life skills training. The North Carolina-based organization faces formidable odds: with unemployment hovering around 35%, nearly 90,000 Wake County residents live in poverty with more than 1,100 facing homelessness. Many of those in need are single-parent households with incomes of less than $10,000. Undaunted, the nonprofit has come up with a plan that would not just mend the problems that the community faces, but rather eradicate the problems  from their roots. “We believe in empowering people by giving a hand up, not a hand out,” says Karis Lovett Tompkins, Chief Development Officer for Passage Home. Since its inception in 1991, Passage Home has helped more than 1,000 families pursue autonomy through a series of targeted programing. The organization presents a holistic set of services that aim to empower and enlighten, thus stopping the cycle of poverty. Housing and support services, financial education, youth development, and neighborhood revitalization efforts pull together to create healthy families, healthy homes, and a healthy environment in which residents can thrive. “The ultimate goal is to have these families in a stable environment,” Karis explains. “Each family is paired with a case manager who can help them where they need it most: job training, parenting, financial literacy—creating and sticking to a budget and improving their credit. We provide a holistic approach to helping families become self-sufficient.” It is Passage Home’s emphasis on empowering marginalized residents that attracted Karis. The nonprofit furnished her with the career change that she yearned for right when she needed it.  “I worked for 12 years selling clinical research software as the head of business development for an organization. It was fine but I needed...

As Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (ARMHC) enters its second phase of expansion, Atlanta families can look forward to a brighter future in children’s health care. Yardi recently joined forces with ARMHC to provide quality care for Atlanta’s families in the greatest need. ARMHC specializes in making families feel at home during their toughest hours by providing low- and no-cost housing for those who would otherwise traverse great distances to the city’s hospitals. Children are able to receive the treatment that they need for illness and injury with their families nearby. Each year, Ronald McDonald House Charities equips more than 4.5 million families with the resources that they need to reside comfortably while their young ones undergo treatment at a nearby hospital. At each home, staff members and volunteers work hard to create an atmosphere that facilitates unity and rest, allowing parents to focus on their child’s recovery rather than the daily trails of household care. More than 42,000 families have had the opportunity to stay at the Ronald McDonald Houses of Atlanta. “These houses are an absolute lifeline,” explain Carrie Bowden, Marketing and Communications Director for ARMHC. “They are a stable place, a very loving place, that provides a lot of comfort while families are going through the toughest crises in their lives.” Both Houses are located in close proximity to state-of-the-art children’s hospitals. “The facilities provide food, safe and comfortable housing, laundry services, meals and transportation. It’s just tremendous to see the benefit that the Houses provide for families.” Two Ronald McDonald Houses call Atlanta home. The Peachtree-Dunwoody house was crafted to assist families that are undergoing rehabilitation at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite. Demand has grown in recent years, resulting in a need for more adequate housing. The Peachtree-Dunwoody House...

Since its humble beginnings in 1993, Camp Twin Lakes has touched the lives of more than 50,000 disabled and sick children. New ventures for this year, its 20th anniversary, ensure that number will continue to grow as camp staff, sponsors, and partners team up to reach more youth. This spring, the camp buzzes with activities, even as the dog days of summer draw near. Since 1993, Camp Twin Lakes has offered weekend and week-long camp excursions for young Georgians with disabilities and serious illnesses. Set against the forested backdrop of Winder, Rutledge, and Warm Springs, participants are encouraged to develop skills sets that will prepare them for a productive and promising future. Over 50 organizations, or camp partners, join forces to form Camp Twin Lakes. Each offers the camp’s participants a wide range of opportunities and activities that foster physical, mental, and social development. Each camp experience is customized for the personal needs of the child attending. Through camp activities, children are encourages to form and meet goals, build confidence, develop friendships and—of course—have loads of fun. “Kids walk away transformed, especially our campers who come in from the outside world where they feel so different from other kids,” said Audrey McMenamy, grant writer for Camp Twin Lakes. “They may be the only child in their class undergoing chemo therapy, or struggle with severe asthma. The camp sessions are arranged for kids with similar conditions so kids don’t feel different, isolated. Together they gain new skills and the walk away with great friendships. They get confidence from trying new things together and not being afraid.” Kathy Russell, Communications Manager, noted how quickly the camps help children break through perceived impossibilities. “Our campers face various challenges, and they face limitations on what they can accomplish...