This year’s Changemakers series has spotlighted some fantastic senior living leaders so far. That includes the latest batch of honorees, whose interviews are officially live. The annual series, a collaboration between Yardi and Senior Housing News (SHN), features interviews with pioneers across the industry. And to be deemed a Changemaker, you need a strong appetite for risk and of course, change. That describes Jane Arthur Roslovic, CEO of Treplus Communities and a newly-announced Changemaker. Meet Jane Arthur Roslovic Jane Arthur Roslovic has been in the real estate development business since the 1980s, and she’s held a managing member position at Treplus Communities since 2012. From decades of experience, she’s well versed in driving unique, strategic initiatives in senior living. In her SHN interview, Roslovic speaks to her team’s brand strategy when it comes to targeting active adults and their children. She also shares how the real estate landscape is evolving, and her experience with driving change throughout her career. Here’s a snapshot: SHN: As you think back on your career, what changes have you driven at Treplus or in the industry that you’re especially proud to share? Roslovic:I am proud of the brand we created, which was ultimately our intent at the beginning. We wanted to build something that the 55-plus active adult really identified with, and we’ve accomplished that goal. It’s meeting a need for the baby boomer, but what’s even cooler is that Gen Z or Gen X is right behind them seeking lifestyle choices. The children of active adults support this lifestyle choice and the fact that we’ve created a brand they already identify with is exciting — not just for Treplus, but the whole active adult asset class. SHN: What are some ways in which you think the senior living industry needs to change in the next five years? Roslovic:Active adult living is our specialization. Awareness is key in the active adult industry, and we have to promote it every day. It is clear amongst my peers, who are out developing active adult, that it is taking all of our efforts to make active adult living a strong, viable option for the younger side of middle age. We are offering an active lifestyle solution that offers greater financial flexibility and the ability to be a part of community of people who are in the same place in life. In the next 5 years active adult housing will be a solid choice for those who are looking to downsize and live maintenance free. With respect to senior living, I believe labor is the biggest challenge and needs the greatest change. The labor force has been hit so hard, and it is critical that we get workers re-engaged with delivery of service while making them proud of their profession. The pandemic was a setback and now we have to play catch up. In senior living, there is still opportunity for delivery of a better resident experience. I’m not sure how quickly that’s going to happen, but I think active adult is keeping a good pace as the industry evolves. Read on From us here at Yardi, thanks for reading! We’re honored to sponsor the Changemakers series for the fourth consecutive year. To learn more about our solutions in senior living, visit our product suite. Head here to read the rest of Jane Arthur Roslovic’s SHN...

Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2021, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will be bringing you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Today, we bring you the story of Second Helpings Atlanta, a nonprofit that reduces food insecurity and food waste in Metro Atlanta by rescuing fresh, surplus food and delivering it to nonprofit partners, who then distribute it to their clients. According to Second Helpings, one out of every nine people in Atlanta, including one out of every seven children, does not have certainty about food access, yet one-third of available food is wasted every day. “We work to remedy this by getting the surplus to where it is needed. Our Food Rescue Network includes over 75 food donors, over 70 partner agencies, and over 300 volunteers,” says Andrea Jaron, executive director of the organization. “We rescued more than 3.6 million pounds of food from landfills in 2021, the equivalent of over three million meals. This was an 89 percent increase over 2020!” Jaron continues: “We can rescue 5 pounds of food for every donated dollar we receive. This is the equivalent of almost 4 meals. Yardi’s support will enable us to grow our network. We have the knowledge, expertise, and resources, and your financial support is critical to helping us rescue surplus food and deliver it to our neighbors who are in need.” Funds will help the organization meet its goals this year. “Our priorities this year are to bring food to areas in need that we are currently not serving,” said Jaron. “This will require us to recruit more volunteers, food donors, and partner agencies. This is a high priority given the rate of inflation and the already existing stresses on families because of the pandemic.”  How surplus food helps Among the partner agencies that distribute food collected by Second Helpings are local food banks. Here’s what one staff member there said about a recent donation which is pictured at right): “Just wanted you all to see how beautiful, bountiful and abundant the market looks today! Thanks to Second Helpings! It is a thing of beauty! Thank you all so much! If you told me six months ago the sight of fruit and vegetables would make me cry I would have thought you crazy! So grateful!” Another partner commented: “Thank you so much for your continued support for our youth and families in the communities we serve. You have been the strongest partner with our food distribution throughout the pandemic, before and after. You have allowed CHRIS 180 to provide needed meals to many who would not have had food to eat day to day, week to week. You and Second Helpings have been the guardian angels for so many across Atlanta. The greatest benefit for CHRIS 180 is that by providing the meals you donate; we can do wellness checks on the community to meet additional needs of them and their families. So again, thank you so much for always considering CHRIS 180 as a partner. We look forward to continuing this strong relationship between our organizations, delivering service to our communities.” Ways for Yardi Atlanta employees to help Yardi employees can become food rescue drivers for Second Helpings by going to the nonprofit’s website and clicking the volunteer button. There is a brief orientation, and then you will be matched to a route that is convenient or you can sign up for routes at a later date. Second Helpings also has a group volunteer activity at our warehouse at 970 Jefferson Street on the historic Westside. “We gather every Wednesday to pack 2000 meal kits. HelloFresh, the meal kit company, donates all of the ingredients, we...

Apartmentalize, powered by NAA, is back! Starting June 22, multifamily leaders from around the nation will gather at the San Diego Convention Center. See the latest innovations and take part in conversations that will shape the future of multifamily. Find out where success happens at booth 815. We’re excited to share how our solutions are solving for industry trends at every stage of the resident lifecycle. Trusted solutions that fit your workflow We’re here to help you attract quality prospects, convert leads into leases, manage the resident experience and optimize your business. Here’s a preview of just some of what we can help you with:  Attract quality prospects with expert help Ready to attract more prospects that convert? Learn how to grow awareness, traffic and marketing ROI with help from REACH by RentCafe, a dedicated digital marketing agency for multifamily.Schedule a free consultation with our REACH by RentCafe experts during the show. In just 15 minutes, you’ll learn how to create a winning web presence, stand out in search and lower your cost per lease. Convert prospects with automated communication, nurturing & fraud prevention Your customer is more than just a renter. Create a seamless prospect-to-resident experience and assist your staff with these customer-centric solutions: Chat IQ is an automated attendant that responds to chat, text, email and voice. This solution saves our clients time and money, all while delivering superior customer experience 24/7. Yardi’s CRM is your site staff’s ultimate partner. It has online and in-person functionalities that engage with your prospects and residents, supporting your staff through the entire leasing lifecycle. ID Verifyand Income Verificationare mobile-friendly solutions that use AI and automation to quickly authenticate applicant identities and income. No more back-and-forth emails to manually verify applicants – just fast, simple, online leasing. Book a meeting at booth 815 to see these solutions in action! Manage residents with an industry-leading system In multifamily real estate, delivering the right customer experience means retaining residents and keeping them in the family. Make it easier for residents to stay by enabling them to pay rent online, renew their lease, submit a work order and more from a branded resident mobile app. Then, level up with Maintenance IQ, which reduces days from your unit-turn process – making every property hum with efficiency. Stop by booth 815 to see how Yardi software continues to put your customers first. Optimize asset performance with an elevated solution One of the smartest systems in the industry just got smarter. Yardi’s Elevate Suite, including Asset IQ, Revenue IQ and Forecast IQ, helps you optimize NOI and asset value with predictive analytics backed by data and benchmarking. Make more informed decisions with a 360-degree view into your business. Expense and revenue benchmarking allow you to understand the full performance picture, placing you at an advantage to optimize occupancy and increase asset value. That’s just the start. Reserve a private demo at booth 815 to see our solutions work. See more, do more, learn more Make the most of your time at Apartmentalize with sessions that will inspire you to take action. Yardi leaders will be there to share industry insights and more. Here’s a peek: Youth & Wisdom: Pairing Experienced Marketers with Fresh Perspectives – June 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m. What can seasoned marketers learn from new employees? A lot! Hear from KETTLER and The Management Group, two industry-leading brands that create marketing magic by combining proven strategy with innovative insights. Learn how to encourage mentorship and collaboration to drive measurable results. Hosted by Esther Bonardi, vice president of marketing at Yardi and REACH by RentCafe. Imploding Myths on Technology Advancement with Affordable Housing – June 23, 3-3:45 p.m. Explore potential affordable housing solutions and learn about the latest tech to advance your industry knowledge. Join Chris Voss, vice president at Yardi, in a conversation designed to address misunderstandings about barriers unique to affordable housing, including the recertification...

It’s time to introduce the next round of 2022 Changemakers — senior living leaders who are spearheading innovation across the industry. This Yardi-sponsored series, in collaboration with Senior Housing News (SHN), features in-depth interviews with leaders to capture their stories, strategies and advice.   If you’re interested to read about the Changemakers series in its entirety, visit the SHN website. There you’ll gain access to individual interviews, including that of the Changemaker we’re highlighting today: Amy Schectman, president and CEO of 2Life Communities. About Amy Schectman    In leading 2Life Communities for over a decade, Amy Schectman has developed a knack for strategy development. From creating a quasi-endowment to support agency innovation to launching an expansion campaign to fill the gaps in senior housing, Schectman has driven positive change throughout her journey as 2Life Communities president and CEO. In her SHN interview, Schectman covers her focus on powerful diversity, equity and inclusion at 2Life — and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Read the snapshot below then explore Schectman’s full interview for more. SHN: Thinking back on your career in senior living, what are some of the changes you’re especially proud of leading? Schectman: I am very proud of elevating the profile of affordable, subsidized senior housing to make it more than just a place people have to live. I think we’ve created some incredibly dynamic and supportive environments shaped by what we call “resident-centric property management.” We articulated that, made it our benchmark and figured out how to turn it into a sustainable model. It’s about cherishing and nurturing our folks in the long run. We work hard to prevent unnecessary ER visits and nursing home placements, and we’ve pushed the envelope of integrating housing and health care to maximize the chances of living a great life with us. The whole articulation of aging in community as a model and mapping out the eligibility for affordable housing put us on a path to fill the market gaps that other communities can’t meet. One of those market gaps is the middle market, and the other is people in tax credit housing who don’t have vouchers. Many older adults who earn between 40% and 60% of Area Median Income qualify for affordable housing but not affordable services. We’re working with our case management program to figure out how to serve that group as well. SHN: Do you see yourself as a Changemaker? And are you always excited to drive change, even with the risk involved? Schectman: Yes, I do. I’ve been at 2Life for eleven and a half years. During that time, I absolutely focused on driving change. Before that, I ran public housing and rental assistance for the state [of Massachusetts]. Public housing is two-thirds older adults, but it’s not quite the senior living industry. As I look at my career, the one pattern I can point to is making change and moving agendas along. Today, we’re making changes to expand our reach. We’ve built a stable organization that we’re trying to take to the next level. Understanding change and opportunities, then executing a strategy to realize them has been a consistent part of what I do. SHN: What changes do you believe need to be made in senior living in the next 3-5 years? Schectman: As the baby boomers continue to account for more of the aging population, they bring their value set with them. They don’t want a cruise or a hotel experience, but to continue the pursuit of social justice, positive change and community. I think we’re a different generation. What appeals to my parents’ generation does not necessarily appeal to my generation. We used to hear, “I don’t want to cook. I don’t want to clean. I don’t want to do those things. I want to relax and play cards.” I don’t think our generation wants to be catered to in that way. Our...

Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2021, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will be bringing you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Today, let’s get to know kidSTREAM, a children’s museum under development in Camarillo, Calif. “We educate and inspire children allowing them to explore, play, and discover,” says Michael Shanklin, executive director, of the kidSTREAM mission. The organization has been working to open the museum since 2016 and hopes to do so by next year. “With the funds provided by the Yardi team, kidSTREAM has expanded our community access in significant ways. The investment by Yardi allowed us to develop STREAM Learning Kits in Spanish and English,” Shanklin said. “Our most recent kit which highlighted electrical circuits, motors, maker activities, and art were assembled by a group of community volunteers then distributed to farm working families in Oxnard.” The kits were also distributed to children involved in Ventura County Family Justice proceedings. “In addition to having the directions in Spanish and English, kidSTREAM filmed children volunteers who explained how to do each step in both Spanish and English by using a QR Code on the instructions. All kits were provided to the children at no cost to the family thanks to Yardi!,” Shanklin said. Meanwhile, work to open the museum continues. kidSTREAM is working to secure the museum building from the city of Camarillo, design exhibits hire staff and raise funds. “Our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan has five prioritized initiatives: 1. Open the Museum, 2. Be financially sustainable, 3. Establish community partnerships, 4. Create excellent programs and exhibits, and finally, 5. Become a community leader,” outlined Shanklin.  He singled out the support of Yardi and a longtime Yardi employee who has joined the kidSTREAM board. “We are humbled by the Yardi team’s generosity which has allowed us to provide meaningful STREAM kits so that ALL children can explore, play, and discover!  We are also thankful for our Yardi Board member, Wendy Acevedo-Solis, who has been instrumental in connecting us with local farmworker families,” Shanklin said. Volunteer opportunities in Southern California Yardi team members in SoCal, kidSTREAM needs help to assemble STREAM kits and distribute them to local families working in Ventura County agriculture.  Yardi teammates can connect with Michael Shanklin ([email protected] or 661-289-1369 cell) to arrange a time to help us help the community.   Learn more about kidSTREAM at https://kidstream.org/, and find future non-profit profiles at...

The value of learning management systems as a catalyst for organizational improvement was the topic of a recent webinar hosted by Patty Evans, industry principal for Yardi Aspire, and featuring employees of the Boulder (Colo.) Housing Authority. Learning management systems can promote stability among an increasingly restive employee population. Evans noted that more than 47 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs last year. A recent study of U.S. workers by Cengage Group showed that 64% of survey respondents identified training as integral to their role, while 78% of employees who quit in the preceding six months took an online course to prepare for their next job. An Amazon-Gallup study found that 47% of employees are “extremely interested” in training that upgrades their skills and advances their careers. “It’s clear that if employers do not provide adequate training, employees will find ways to develop the needed skills and that may mean getting a job elsewhere.,” Evans said. “Employers need to have a new mantra: If we want to retain our staff, we have to focus on skills development.” These factors have prompted BHA and other agencies to adopt Aspire, an online learning management system that automates the delivery of personalized learning experiences to half a million users worldwide. Along with live event management, Aspire includes about 1,300 courses on Yardi software, HR topics, compliance and safety, professional skills development and more. Its content is routinely upgraded to reflect changes to Yardi software, industry standards, and federal and state legislation. Learners seeking to refine specific skills can use the site-wide search tool or interactive catalog to locate and sign up for training on more than 200 industry skills and review recommended training options for their current or desired role. Boon to virtual onboarding Along with offering workers immediate skills practice and real-world applications, Aspire also benefits BHA and other organizations as a virtual onboarding tool that automatically assigns relevant training and resources for success to new employees as they begin new roles. The system also automatically recalibrates training assignments as employees transfer to new roles or locations throughout their career. “We can customize the Aspire content with unique company messages such as BHA’s values and mission. This helps make a great first impression of the organization with new employees,” said Carrie Murphy, BHA’s learning management system manager. “You’ll be surprised how much you can do with Aspire’s proprietary authoring and communication tools to make your staff feel not just welcome but connected to your organization. With a little imagination, your employees can dive in and immediately interact with your organization through Aspire,” Evans added. Benefits of automation and personalized learning The webinar revealed that employee engagement and efficiency offered by Aspire holds increasing relevance in today’s work environment. “Since the start of the pandemic online learning has seen a massive increase in participation and continues to grow. Companies benefit when employees feel confident and employees thrive when they’re given opportunities to learn new skills, receive feedback on their training performance and participate in a learning community,” Evans said. Aspire helps BHA’s training administrators by automating time-consuming, repetitive processes, from training announcements, registration management and training and skills assessments to feedback collection and recommended next steps. It also delivers new organizational efficiency and direct cost savings with self-paced content that is automatically developed and maintained by Yardi and industry experts. Trainers can spend less time developing and delivering introductory information and beginning skills and focus more time training advanced topics and imparting institutional knowledge. “Automated training management saves us a lot of time,” Murphy said. Rosemary Mendenhall, a community manager for BHA, offered the user’s perspective. “I love that I can personalize my learning with Aspire. I can pick the classes that I want, with my managers assigning me additional classes that tie in with my job and experience,” she said, noting that the variety of training methods – including highly interactive content,...

Three things are holding back the world’s commercial real estate sector, says Kylie Davis, president of Proptech Association Australia. “Our commitment to Excel spreadsheets and filing cabinets and whiteboards,” are roadblocks to a real estate revolution. And this “very inefficient and expensive” commitment is holding real estate companies back from squeezing more value from assets and creating better experiences for customers. Davis, a serial entrepreneur and futurist who advises several proptech start-ups, recently sat down with Bernie Devine, Yardi senior regional director of APAC, for a chat. Property technology – or proptech for short – has been growing at a “phenomenal” pace over the last two years, Kylie said. Proptech Association Australia has identified 18 separate transactions worth at least AUD$274 million since late 2019 alone, as some of the nation’s largest landlords and most influential media companies accelerate their investment in technology. Proptech may attract the headlines, but scratch below the surface and “really it’s about getting the industry to change,” Devine added. Real estate is certainly resistant to change. Nearly half of Australian real estate companies still use spreadsheets for valuation reporting, budgeting and projections and 52 percent depend on spreadsheets to undertake benchmarking and performance analysis, according to the latest Yardi/Property Council of Australia Proptech Survey. Why is an industry committed to efficiency and asset optimisation holding on, so stubbornly, to spreadsheets? Change can be “painful and scary,” Davis observed. The long development and sales cycle in the commercial real estate sector can be a “real killer of innovation.” Fear of failure plays a part, Devine added. “It’s also a question of what to do first.” But Covid acted as a catalyst for widespread technology adoption, and “convinced the unconvinced”, Davis said. She is excited about the potential for the commercial sector to convert “analog assets” –everything from lights and air-conditioning – into “data streams that can be interrogated.” Davis pointed to several inspiring examples. AI Assets recently tagged more than two million assets in 1,500 Australian buildings in less than a year – 80 per cent faster than with the traditional pen and clipboard method and with a fraction of the people. Exergenics, uses big data, AI and algorithms to optimise HVAC systems, extracting “two or three per cent” more efficiency from every unit. This translates into hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings over the life of a building, not to mention carbon emissions. The outcome will be smarter buildings, but more importantly, better experiences for the user. Proptech “promotes the idea of a building as a device,” Devine added. Where do real estate companies start when they are dipping their toes into the technology waters? Devine’s “rules of the road” start with some simple questions: Whose problem are you trying to solve? And who perceives the most value in solving that problem? “And then bring together the data and process to solve the problem,” Bernie concluded. Click here to watch the latest instalment in Yardi’s Proptech...

Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2021, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will be bringing you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Today, we introduce you to Meals on Wheels of Wake County, which has served homebound elderly and persons with disabilities for almost 50 years. The Raleigh, NC organization will celebrate its half century anniversary in 2024. “The first meals were delivered in 1974, and 48 years later, we have delivered over 10 million meals to date. We are the only daily, home meal delivery program in the county,” said Mary Kate Keith, Director of Development and Communications. “Our program is specifically geared toward homebound seniors over 60 years of age, and other homebound persons with disabilities.” Over 1,500 dedicated volunteers deliver complete meals to homebound clients, while staff provides meals to Wake County residents in eight senior dining sites. Approximately 1,300 people receive a meal every weekday, and over 405,500 meals were served in fiscal year 2020/2021.  Meals on Wheels enhances the quality of the lives of participants with a daily, nutritious, hot meal that improves health and diet. Volunteers offer a daily check-up and visit that makes them feel safer in their homes.  “We also promote independent living which can prevent or delay a move to assisted living facilities and allow participants to stay in their homes with as much independence as their health allows. Without this service, a higher cost to taxpayers would result. The average cost for a nursing home is $240 per day,” said Keith. “Funds from Yardi have certainly helped our program. This past year we have experienced rising costs in food, transportation, and staffing. Our cost per meal has risen from $7 to almost $9 today.” Volunteer opportunities for Yardi Raleigh employees One of the current goals for Meals on Wheels of Wake County is to get back to pre-pandemic service levels.  “We need more volunteers, as many of our previous volunteers did not return,” explained Keith. “We are also working on opening our senior dining rooms, called Friendship Cafes. Currently seven of our original eight dining rooms are open and we hope to open the eighth this summer. Our number of clients is also continuing to rise, which is a good sign.” Yardi staff in the Raleigh area can sign up to donate their time as a group or individuals. Visit https://www.wakemow.org/corporate-partners to find out more information about volunteering as a corporate group.  “We have 12 meal pick-up sites located throughout Wake County to make volunteering convenient from any area. I would be happy to meet with the employees at their office to discuss the possibilities,” Keith said. Learn more about Meals on Wheels of Wake County at https://wakemow.org/, and find future non-profit profiles at...

How can Yardi’s single connected solution simplify your move-in workflow? We have the answers, which we’ve compiled in our newest infographic covering all-things electronic leasing.   In essence, electronic leasing tools in the Yardi Senior Living Suite make the move-in process seamless. With interconnected tools enabling customized online leases, electronic signatures and accessible digital documents, Yardi ensures you never miss a beat in turning prospects to residents.     So if your communities aren’t utilizing electronic leasing tools yet, keep reading to see how making the switch can benefit you, your staff, residents and their families. Learn about electronic leasing functionality What is electronic leasing? In short, electronic leases — or eleases — are a digital version of the rental contract you already know. But with Yardi, electronic leasing is much more than a digital document. Our full-service, integrated electronic leasing management tools helps senior living providers streamline every step of the move-in process. Still curious how the process works, and which Yardi tools are key players? With our interconnected tools, you say goodbye to disparate systems and misplaced documents. Once your sales counselors generate a lease in RentCafe Senior CRM, it’s uploaded to RentCafe Senior Living online portal in real time. From there, prospective residents and family members get notified to complete their electronic signatures. They can log directly into the portal, or sign while in the community using a secure PIN, allowing for convenient access anytime, anywhere. All documents — including signed leases — are automatically tied to the resident record in Voyager Senior Housing. Deposits, recurring charges, one-time charges, lease terms, move-in incentives, care level, concessions, concession approvals and quote sheets systematically flow into the digital lease, eliminating the risk for errors and lost details. The challenge There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to electronic leasing functionality, and the challenges that arise when providers rely on paper-based process or siloed systems. Simply put, without an online leasing workflow, providers face: Hours spent generating leases and ancillary documentsLost prospects who wish to sign forms remotelyDisplaced documents scattered across siloed systemsA halted sales cycle and decreased move-ins Thankfully, full-service solutions like the Yardi Senior Living Suite eliminate these challenges by integrating and digitizing everything you need. The solution If you’re a visual learner, be sure to read the infographic to see how Yardi’s electronic leasing workflow operates from start to finish. This single connected solution allows providers to: Generate custom leases in RentCafe Senior CRM, our mobile-friendly sales and marketing toolEnable residents and families to sign forms in RentCafe Senior Living, our secure online portalSearch, find and update signed documents in Voyager Senior Housing, our community management powerhouse The benefits Going digital for your leasing needs has countless benefits. And with a system like the Yardi Senior Living Suite, housing everything on a single platform, those benefits include: Saving time — eliminate time spent sorting through paper documentsOffering convenience — give staff and prospects intuitive online platformsEnhancing resident satisfaction — help residents and families complete tasks with easeMaximizing occupancy — accelerate the leasing process at every level   See firsthand success from Yardi clients Wondering how providers are benefiting from Yardi’s electronic leasing functionality? Read the infographic to see what our clients are saying. If you’re ready to chat with our team about electronic leasing tools in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, we encourage you to get in touch. We can’t wait to show you...

Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2021, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will be bringing you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Today, we introduce you to Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC), which provides resources to low-income residents of Orange County, Calif. that fall into two categories: Immediate Needs (such as food, utility assistance, diapers) and Empowering Communities (such as nutrition education, youth/senior programs, workforce development, financial empowerment). CAP OC has worked to enhance the quality of life in Orange County since 1965. For more than 55 years, the organization has actively supported individuals and families with food, life skills, resources, community education, and more. Following its vision of generations of healthy communities where poverty ceases to exist, CAP OC walks alongside the people it serves, working at the ground level to connect them with the help they need.   This year, CAP OC is particularly focused on workforce development, equity, investments in human capital, low-income housing, community resiliency, and a new approach in how to move families out of poverty while empowering the communities it serves. Funds from Yardi will support programs that equip participants with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty in two generations. “We are grateful for this donation from Yardi. We deeply appreciate your support, especially as families are continuing to feel the devasting effects of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. The work we do could not be accomplished without partners like you,” said LaShanda Maze, vice president of philanthropy for the organization. Major CAP OC accomplishments in the past fiscal year include:   The OC Food Bank distributed 43 million pounds of food—the second-largest amount in the Agency’s history, behind only 2020. The Southwest Community Center served 60,000 hot meals to over 300 participants who are homeless or precariously housed.The new Success Coaches Program coached 167 senior participants in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to create SMART goals to improve their lives. The Diaper Bank program distributed 23 million diapers. CAP OC supported almost 20,000 participants with utility assistance. The organization implemented a complete virtual enrollment/assessment and contactless drop off Southern California Edison Energy Savings Assistance program that served over 8,000 families. CAP OC fulfilled a solar contract, completing certification in installation and design with SunPower and installing solar power in seven homes. The Housing Navigator program helped permanently house three chronically ill homeless participants. The Elevate Youth leadership program reached 188 youth.A new Workforce Development program launched in June, enrolling 92 young adults. By the end of December, 13 were already employed. Nine participants graduated from the Young Adult Court program and had their felony charge removed from their record. Fundraising efforts yielded $4.3 million in community support.  Learn more about CAP OC at https://capoc.org/, and find future non-profit profiles at...

Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2021, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will be bringing you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Today, we introduce you to Food Share, the largest hunger-relief organization in Ventura County, serving approximately 190,000 food-insecure people each year. In 2021, Food Share distributed nearly 19 million pounds of food, the equivalent of just under 16 million meals.                “A county-wide network of 190 pantry partners collects nutritious fresh and shelf-stable food items, at no charge, from Food Share’s warehouse to distribute to their local communities. Food Share also supplies multiple weekly drive-thru emergency food box distributions and runs several programs serving vulnerable communities including farmworkers, low-income seniors, and the unhoused,” said Monica White, president and CEO of Food Share. “We are immensely grateful for Yardi’s generosity and commitment to ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry. Corporate donations on the scale of Yardi’s are one of the main reasons we have been able to meet the dramatically increased need for food that we’ve seen in the past couple of years,” White said. A lost job leaves a family in need Food Share contributed the story of client Hakim and her family, who worked at a senior center preparing and serving meals but lost her job when the center closed and switched to delivery-only. For an already low-income family, the lost paycheck made putting enough nutritious food on the table even more of a struggle. “It gets really hard to feed everybody,” says Hakim, a mother of five with three children still living at home. Hakim was relieved when a friend told her about a weekly drive-thru food distribution in Moorpark where she could pick up a free box of shelf-stable pantry items and fresh produce.  “I love to cook, and I don’t want to waste any food. I enjoy cooking spaghetti, and sometimes we’ve been getting bread, and things like potatoes, celery, cabbage, and zucchini and I’ve been using that to make soup,” explains Hakim. She also remembers to pick up an additional box for a friend in need who doesn’t drive. “I hope it continues. It has been very good to have the extra food. Thank you.” Continuing the fight against hunger In 2022, Food Share will continue to lead the fight against hunger in Ventura County. “With inflation biting hard, we are seeing a new surge in people attending our drive-thru distributions and visiting our pantry partners. Hunger is an ever-present reality for too many,” White said. The current priorities for Food Share are: Increasing the number and scale of the programs serving vulnerable populations including farmworkers and the unhousedInvesting in technology to manage the increased need for food and investing in staffingExpanding operational infrastructure to meet the long term needs of the communityGrowing the supporter base. “Without the generosity and commitment of the people of Ventura County, we cannot lead the fight against hunger,” White said. Volunteer opportunities and how to learn more It takes around 150 volunteers a day to keep the Food Share operations running efficiently. Anyone interested in volunteering can go their website at foodshare.com/volunteer or download the Food Share app at the App Store and Google Play (Search Food Share Ventura County) to view the latest opportunities and sign up. “Every dollar, every volunteer hour, and every can of food donated to us makes a real difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors struggling with hunger,” says White. Learn more about Food Share at https://foodshare.com/, and find future non-profit profiles at...