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...

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...

Yardi’s corporate culture includes a focus on community service. In the Yardi Boise office, a team of employees focused professionally on the senior living product suite decided to bring that value to life by participating in two local efforts aimed at combating hunger. First, staff partnered with Metro Meals on Wheels to serve 80 seniors in the community. Since many of the elders that benefit from Meals on Wheels are homebound and unable to prepare their own food, they rely on meal delivery as their primary source of nutrition. The Boise office team was happy to help with distributing food, cleaning, and socializing with seniors. Metro Meals on Wheels serves meals to nearly 1,000 Boise senior citizens each weekday and over 700 each weekend. Inspired by their work with Meals on Wheels, the team sought a new philanthropic challenge, this time joining with the Idaho Foodbank. The independent non-profit organization is entirely donor supported and is the largest food bank and distributor of free food assistance in Idaho. One in seven Idahoans are in need, and the food bank is making strides to not only provide meals but to promote healthy, locally-sourced foods. In fact, three quarters of the food distributed by the Idaho Foodbank is fresh or fresh frozen versus shelf stable, up from just fifty percent six years ago. So when the organization was hosting a food drive, the Yardi staff was excited to participate. This time, they volunteered to put together meals for the federally sponsored Seniors’ program and gathered donations of juice, cereal, milk and eggs into individual meal boxes. In all, the 60 employees assembled 15 palettes of meals, estimated to contain an amazing 14,000 pounds of food, to be distributed to local seniors. That’s more than enough to...

Staff at the Yardi Milton Keynes office are cleaning out their home pantries. But they’re not checking for expiration dates—they’re collecting items for the Milton Keynes Food Bank. Located in Buckinghamshire, about an hour northwest of London, the Yardi UK office employs over sixty team members, and they hope to make a big impact. As part of Yardi’s philanthropy program, the UK team started a charity committee. They sent out a survey to gather feedback and decide which charities to support as a team. The group wanted to keep things local and at first chose a handful of organizations to contribute to. But after the initial charity drive, members of the team had a desire to get involved with something a bit more hands-on. Hannah Holmes and Martin Gedny from the marketing team took a trip to the local food bank. Both learned a great deal about the types of people who benefit from the organization. “It was such an insightful experience that we decided to get involved, and at the very least, set up a donation box,” said Hannah Holmes, marketing associate. “The collection has been a massive hit, and it’s just a start. We want to also encourage team members to get down there and volunteer as well,” said Martin Gedny, senior manager, EMEA marketing. The Milton Keynes Food Bank, recipient of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, aims to educate locals about the realities of hunger in the area. Long believed to be an issue only in developing countries, hunger is a very real threat; even in prosperous communities, many families live on the edge of poverty. And since the food bank relies entirely on contributions from local schools, churches and businesses, every donation counts. Each week, the team checks the...

The End Hunger Games have been a Foodbank of Santa Barbara County tradition for five years. This winter holiday campaign adds a dose of friendly competition to local corporate philanthropy. Each year, 10-15 corporate teams compete to be crowned as the biggest givers. Yardi has participated in the End Hunger Games since its inception. “We use Yardi activities as examples to inspire the other teams to go above and beyond,” says Nathalie Keller, Corporate Giving Manager at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “They have several teams within the company. They volunteer regularly, donate food, post on social channels, and plan events like their holiday boutique and company party to benefit the Foodbank.” Yardi emerged as the victor of the fifth annual End Hunger Games, followed closely by other fine local organizations: First place: Yardi – Total Points: 1466 Second place: Evidation Health  – Total points: 1457 Third place: FastSpring – Total Points: 1327 The vast outpouring of corporate support, coupled with donations from the community, could not have come at a better time. The Thomas Fire, one of the largest and costly in the state’s history, caused widespread dislocation and loss of property. For the Foodbank, the efforts to provide for daily community food needs were made even more challenging by this disaster. Keller explains, “Children and families experienced increased food insecurity during this time of crisis. Many were unable to work because businesses had shut down or reduced work hours during the emergency. This meant that hourly employees faced sudden loss of wages. Owners of businesses connected to tourism and recreation, along with service providers and vendors, experienced immediate loss of income.” As soon as the UCSB American Red Cross shelter opened, the Foodbank began providing food, water and snacks to evacuees. Two...

Yardi Boston recently participated in a Garden Party project at Somerville Village that will bring therapeutic and educational resources to young women in transitional housing. The project reflects how humble beginnings can be transformed into spectacular endings. About Somerville Village Somerville Village is a collaboration between Focus and The Home for Little Wanderers. The former is a Massachusetts-based non-profit that advocates and supports affordable housing as well as services for its residents. The latter offers programming to strengthen vulnerable families and keep children safe in their communities. Together, the organizations launched Somerville Village, transitional housing and programing to help young women who have aged-out of The Home for Little Wanderers yet need additional assistance to pursue higher education. Somerville Village is a two-story house with 15 bedrooms, five bathrooms, a kitchen and several communal spaces. Residents have easy access to public transportation, allowing them to commute to their post-secondary classes. In addition to housing, Somerville Village also provides access to therapeutic and educational support for residents as they take additional steps towards independence. The Garden Party When Yardi Boston team members arrived at Somerville Village, they found a lovely home with one aesthetic flaw: an underused side yard in serious need of attention. The organization wanted to transform the space into an educational and functional garden. Yardi was there to help. Rick Houpt, Development, The Home for Little Wanderers, explains, “The Yardi team absolutely transformed a dreary, black-padded side-yard into a cheerful educational and therapeutic space: a garden of raised beds for vegetables, herbs, and flowers.” The garden is an educational opportunity because the women of Somerville Village will have the chance to learn about nutrition, gardening, and growing food. The resource can help them take better care of bodies and minds, reaping the...

Before you discard an empty shoebox or a duplicate Happy Meal toy, think again. Those seemingly small items can go a long way toward promoting health and happiness for women and children in need. The Shoebox Project is a program hosted by the United Way. A few weeks before Mother’s Day each year, United Way delivers shoeboxes filled with essential items to women in homeless shelters, often mothers. The shoeboxes are filled and wrapped by volunteers. Yardi Atlanta has participated in the Shoebox Project for as long as anyone in the office can remember. It’s a year-long process. Employees contribute a variety of supplies such as toiletries, feminine hygiene products, first aid supplies, small toys, crayons, ponchos and socks. Then at the end of April, the supplies culminate into one large donation. Marilyn Duffield, Residential Project Manager, Client Services at Yardi explains the process once the items are collected: “We setup a conference room for people to stop by at their convenience—on lunch, between calls, at the end of the day—to wrap a shoebox or two, fill it with items from our stock-pile, and place a rubber band around it. We also collect monetary donations to use for wrapping paper or to buy more of an item that we need,” says Duffield. The versatility of the shoebox project allows all employees to get involved. Volunteers donate time, money, or items. Employees are encouraged to get creative with low- or no-cost options by bringing in extra hotel soaps or free toothbrushes from the dentist. When the 2018 project ended, Yardi delivered 115 boxes to the United Way. The donations completely filled Duffield’s car. “It is a feel-good project that reaches women and children all over Metro Atlanta,” smiles Duffield. “It’s such a great way to...

Two weeks ago, staff members from the Yardi corporate marketing and human resources departments in Santa Barbara, Calif. spent a few hours helping local non-profit organization Direct Relief assemble Emergency Medical Backpacks for first responders in disaster zones. For the marketing department the project was a peer energy team effort. Marketing colleagues assemble in small groups for regular activities like team building, socializing, friendly competitions and volunteer outings. The backpack packing effort required the coworkers to travel just a few blocks to the non-profit’s current warehouse, where backpacks and supplies were ready for assembly. (Direct Relief is currently building a new headquarters and warehouse space less than a mile from the Yardi corporate office in Goleta.) “After having a very difficult few months in our community with wildfires and the tragic debris flow, this opportunity to work together with our teams putting together medical backpacks for first responders was extremely uplifting. It felt really good that we could join together and do something that will help save lives, perhaps during another disaster like we had just experienced,” said Lexi Beausoleil, marketing campaign specialist for multifamily. Emergency Medical Backpacks include diagnostic items like a stethoscope and thermometers, infection control supplies like masks and gloves, personal protection tools like a headlamp and safety goggles, and trauma care supplies like bandages and iodine. “These Emergency Medical Backpacks are highly functional and durable, with appropriate and sufficient contents to meet critical disaster-related health needs, as well as the personal protective needs of skilled health workers providing treatment,” a Direct Relief spokesperson explained. Input from experienced emergency responders and field physicians informs the supply list. They are designed to grab-and-go for medical response volunteers or local responders able to provide on-site medical care and support during unexpected disasters or...

Yardi Atlanta recently celebrated the most successful Yardi Prom Drive, supporting Foster Care Support Foundation (FCSF) in nearby Roswell, GA. About Foster Care Support Foundation Each year, approximately 8,000 children in Georgia are in need of foster care. Placement in a good home is only part of the battle. Many foster parents and relatives struggle to provide enrichment materials and experiences for the children in their care. For 17 years, FCSF had provided free clothing, infant care equipment, and developmental learning tools to thousands of foster and relative care families. The organization accepts gently used materials to offset its annual operational costs of $700,000. To date, the organization has served more than 50,000 children through its services. Yardi Atlanta + FCSF Yardi formed a relationship with FCSF through the local grant committee. Committee members Shana Winbush and Marilyn Duffield proposed the idea of supporting foster families. The timeliness of FCSF Prom Drive was a perfect fit. Yardi hosted this year’s Prom Drive Boutique in honor of FCSF. Committee member Keiya Huguley helped to coordinate the event. “Many foster families don’t have $200-$500 to pay for the tux, suit, dress, shoes, accessories, make-up, hair, nails, and everything that goes into attending a prom. Prom Drives give foster children a better chance of living a life close as possible to ‘normal,’ despite circumstances. These types of drives are helping families financially and impacting them emotionally,” observes Huguley. To raise awareness for the clothing drive, the committee started a prom photo contest that selected daily winners for a week. Employees submitted their prom photos to enter the daily drawing. Daily winners received entry into the final drawing where they were eligible to become Yardi Prom King and Queen. But before announcing the winners, the team created a...

As California’s Central Coast continues to heal after the recent natural disasters, we are thankful for the many volunteers and community agencies who have stepped up to lend a helping hand through events, fundraisers, donations and volunteerism. Yardi employees and executives have recently contributed to the efforts to dig out Montecito homes that suffered mud and flooding damage in the early January slide. Recovery and restoration efforts are ongoing, and volunteer opportunities are available each weekend. A big thank you to the Thomas Fire Benefit Festival, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, Foodbank SB, and our many employees for supporting the disaster relief efforts. Learn more and get involved at the links below. Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County: https://www.sbhabitat.org/disaster-response Donations and volunteer hours are needed to assist with the Habitat for Humanity recovery campaign. Weekdays and weekend volunteer hours are available. Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade: www.santabarbarabucketbrigade.org Weekend meetups are available for those who would like to contribute sweat equity to those digging out their homes and properties. Foodbank SB: www.foodbanksbc.org The Foodbank assisted with food distribution during the evacuation period, and volunteer opportunities are always available to help with processing donations and other tasks. Thomas Fire Benefit Festival: www.thomasfirebenefit.com Yardi sponsored the Thomas Fire Benefit Festival in Ventura on February 3 at Plaza Park. 100% of proceeds from the Thomas Fire Benefit Festival will be put toward recovery from the devastating Thomas...

What if you could help to end family homelessness? Not just through a single meal or a temporary residence but through a life-changing and habit-altering program for determined adults? Yardi employees in San Diego were able to do just that by volunteering with Solutions for Change. Vista, California is home to Solutions for Change, one of the nation’s only full service programs to end homelessness. To date, the organization has empowered 850 families in the San Diego area including 2,200 children. Solutions University is the key to the program’s long-term success. The university integrates affordable housing, job training, education, and wellness services. Participants work, pay rent, and attend educational classes that reinforce self-sufficiency. In about 1,000 days, participants can complete the program and emerge ready to end homelessness in their families for good. It is an empowering and effective program that has changed lives since 1999. Yardi participated in a home preparation project for Solutions University graduates. Before the official on-site project, Yardi San Diego team members prepared by collecting donations of much needed items. Cleaning supplies composed most of the donations as well as gift cards for additional home supplies. Team members also donated gift cards for the residents that would allow them to better equip their new apartments. For the on-site event, Yardi employees Melissa Krautwald, Larry Galang, Karen Detmar, Kathy Bretado, Tyler Dalsted, Louie Arzaga, Melissa Krautwald, Jeremy Hoover and Dave Chmelka volunteered. The team helped to “turn units” in preparation for two Solutions University families. Volunteers scrubbed bathrooms, mopped floors, and cleaned windows, walls, doors and door jams. Solutions for Change provided new dishware that the volunteers cleaned and stored. The units went from drab to fab in about three hours. “It was powerful to see some of the families that...

Junior League is a woman-operated nonprofit organization that is committed to developing the potential of women, promoting volunteerism, and community improvement. Junior League of Santa Barbara (JLSB), founded in 1924, continues the tradition of leadership and service in the central coast. Several Yardi team members are involved with LSB including Tori Fisher, Sustainer Melanie Calbow, and Kelly Johnson. Johnson has been with the organization for four years. “I joined JLSB because I have always had a passion for volunteering and wanted to find more ways to become involved with the community,” says Johnson. “Through trainings, I have learned to excel in a variety of areas outside of my current job role and am learning to be a better leader.” She adds, “While the international Junior League was first founded in 1901, I think it is more relevant today than ever before.  Our mission remains the same: promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.” “We work towards making lasting improvements in the community, just as women did in the early 1900s,” Johnson continues. “Too often we hear about all of the negatives in the world and we need people coming together to make changes for the better.” The organization continues to be a positive force in the community. In 2016, JLSB raised more than $100,000 for local causes. Additionally, the Focus Area Committee at JLSB undertakes extensive research to select a Signature Project, the nonprofit’s most ambitious community service endeavor. One project can take several years. JLSB took on the renovation of Eastside Library as a former Signature Project. Phase one gave the teen space a modern and appealing update. Phase two transformed the basement of the library to a bright, fun, and welcoming space...

Nearly three dozen Yardi Atlanta team members and their loved ones recently volunteered for the Mimosa Elementary School Courtyard Cleanup. Their efforts transformed a neglected square into a welcoming space for students and faculty. A growing body of research confirms the importance of green space in communities. They foster physical and mental health, bolster energy, and even reduce crime rates. The myriad of benefits associated with green spaces highlights the significance of the elementary school courtyard. Winding walkways, a spacious deck, and raised garden beds made the courtyard a beautiful place for learning. School counselor Flynn Pustilnik explained, “Teachers can facilitate their reading or writing time outdoors and incorporate science curriculum into that time. Some teachers have incorporated project-based learning with our outdoor space and made habitats for the turtles out there. As the counselor, I like to use the outdoor space to eat lunch with students.” In recent years, however, weeds filled the garden beds and shrubs peaked near the gutters. In Georgia, school budgets do not include funds for landscaping other than grass mowing. A gardening club invested personal funds and time to maintain the space for years but the club eventually dissolved. The courtyard became a less inviting place. The two turtles—one of which is more than 14 years old—were the only ones who liked to linger in the courtyard. It was time for an overhaul. Yardi Atlanta stepped up to help the local school. The courtyard cleanup is one of many outreach collaborations between Yardi and Mimosa Elementary School, including a recent school supply drive. The morning of the event, rain drizzled as the volunteers arrived to the parking lot, unloading the gardening tools and cleaning supplies that they brought from home. Other volunteers arrived with supplies from Home Depot, purchased with gift...

Did you know that 48 percent of California’s seniors lack sufficient income to cover housing and meals? That means two out of every five seniors have to choose between paying rent and having enough money for food. Serving Seniors is a 501c3 nonprofit that minimizes the financial burden faced by thousands of San Diego seniors. Since 1970, Serving Seniors has offered vital services including food, health care, housing, social and educational opportunities. It is the only organization of its kind in the county, and one of few in the country, to provide for the fundamental needs of seniors. Food and housing top the organization’s list of priorities. Seniors ages 60 and older are eligible for congregate meals and physical, mental, and social health services. Seniors 62 and older are eligible for those services as well as permanent affordable housing at the organization’s communities in East Village and City Heights. There is also a transitional housing program for seniors facing housing insecurity. “Meals and affordable housing are the most-needed services we offer,” says Shannon Fogg, Communications and Special Events Manager at Serving Seniors. “San Diegans can always volunteer to help serve meals or lead classes. Any kind of class is typically interesting to our curious seniors.” Serving Seniors understands that clients have needs beyond the necessities. Learning and socialization opportunities give seniors a chance to make new friends, learn new skills and develop existing abilities. To maintain mental and physical agility, seniors participate in classes for low or no costs. Yoga, Tai Chi, interactive games, art, crafts, and health education classes are just of few opportunities for mature adult learners. The Civic Engagement league empowers low-income seniors to address challenges that impact their community. They participate in volunteer opportunities, brainstorm and execute solutions to community issues....

Atlanta summers are known for their sweltering heat and ruthless humidity. Those conditions were no match for Yardi Atlanta. The team of eight braved the heat to show their support for babies during the March of Dimes March for Babies. Supported by donations from fellow team members, their efforts helped to give hope and support to babies and their families. March of Dimes was born as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, a response to President Franklin Roosevelt’s personal struggle with polio and his desire to see the disease eradicated. The organization fought and achieved its mission to end polio in the United States before turning its attention to broader services. The nonprofit now supports March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center in its fight for healthy babies. The center leads in groundbreaking research on the genetic causes of birth defects, screening methods, as well as pregnancy education for medical professionals and the general public. March of Dimes and the Prematurity Research Center have experienced major breakthroughs. The teams created and improved surfactant therapy to treat respiratory distress. The new Folic Acid Campaign successfully reduces incidences of neural tube defects and birth defects of the brain and spine. The organizations also founded a system of regional neonatal intensive care centers for premature and sick babies. To continue the good work, March of Dimes relies on March for Babies as its primary fundraiser. There are thousands of marches across the United States each year, each one uniting teams of family members, coworkers, and friends on a journey towards a future for healthy babies. Yardi Atlanta team members Heather Humrich, Monique Benson, Ken Romero, Kami Reid, Wendy Caffrey, Shana Winbush, Charity Williams, and Elizabeth Daniels participated in the march. They represented Yardi on the walk of the...

The Corporate Training Team recently convened for its annual conference. Participants dedicated one morning of the event to volunteering at the Raleigh branch of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (Food Bank CENC). “For my team, since we’re spread through the U.S., we only get together once a year,” says Debbie Lamberson, Team Leader, Corporate Training at Yardi. “We spend much of that time learning but this year we wanted to do team building. Everybody wants to do it again next year! It was hard work but it was exciting to know how much what we were doing was going to help seniors.” Yardi Employees Lamberson, Jamie Hall, Jon Hodgkin, Julie Taylor, Lacey Petch, Laura Guerrero, Lina Castanon, Marcus Rutherford, Patty Evans, and Steve Harris participated in the event. Cary Middle School Future Business Leaders joined Yardi employees that morning, adding a fun dynamic to the group. The team of 25 sorted and assembled packages that would be distributed to smaller food banks in the area. With their efforts combined, the volunteers completed 484 boxes for seniors in three hours, beating the organization’s record average of 450 boxes per shift. The boxes contained about 14,360 lbs of food. “The Food Bank figures 19 ounces for an average senior meal, so we created 12,101 meals,” says Lamberson. The Raleigh branch of Food Bank CENC provides relief for the vulnerable populations of 13 counties. In this region, the United States Census Bureau reports that 27.9 percent of the local population earns an income that falls below the poverty level. Food Bank CENC estimates that more than 45,500 seniors in its region live in poverty, and thousands more struggle to survive on a fixed income. Food donation packaging is just one of the many...

What do you remember most about your summers as a child? Many of us enjoyed camps and retreats during our breaks from school. For others, those activities were not an option. United Way Santa Barbara (UWSB) is working to level the playing field for a new generation of local students by providing summer enrichment for ask-risk youth. Members of the local Yardi Voyager Client Success Residential SB 2 Team recently volunteered at the UWSB Fun in the Sun (FITS) Lunch Bunch event. Volunteers included Evan Hamilton, Brandon Paul, Luke Smith, Sonia Acuna, Ryan Daley, Baron Wei, Richard Ngoy, Dan Maliniak and Jomel Esleta, Team Leader, CSD. FITS is a six-week learning program geared towards children who are academically and financially at-risk. Esleta explains, “FITS is an important program for the community because these students’ parents spend much of their time working. The children are often unsupervised during the summer and are exposed to behavioral risks. FITS provides students and their families with unique and engaging experiences to reduce and reverse ‘summer learning loss’ and narrow the achievement gap between lower-income students and their middle or upper class peers.” Summer learning loss is a condition examined and analyzed through a 20-year study at Johns Hopkins University. When students lack access to enrichment activities over the summer, they lose academic skills gained during the previous year. They are also less prepared for the upcoming school year. The affects of summer learning loss accumulate year after year, pushing the students farther behind their peers who are able to continue learning during the summer. “By ninth grade, summer learning loss can be blamed for roughly two-thirds of the achievement gap separating income groups,” says TIME Magazine. To prevent summer learning loss, volunteers help students with hands-on assignments, arts and...

Yardi proposal writer Lexi Beausoliel and her husband, Matthew, can call themselves homebuilders – multiple times over. Each year, the Santa Barbara couple makes at least one trip to the Colonias of East Tijuana, Mexico, to assist with a Southern California home building non-profit called Project Mercy. Since 1991, volunteers participating in the project have constructed hundreds of homes for impoverished Tijuana residents living without a nearby water source, indoor plumbing and other basic utilities that Americans take for granted. Due to the positive impact of the experience, this summer the Beausoliels decided to kick it up a notch. Rather than organizing just one team of volunteers to complete just one home, they decided to aim for five – enough to build five houses for families in need, completed in a single day. In addition to the manpower, they are hoping to fundraise nearly $20,000 to cover the building cost. “Instead of just one house, we can build a small community,” said Lexi Beausoliel, who credits her spouse as the driving force behind the quadrupled effort. “(Matthew) has had such a great experience doing this, and felt like it would be really impactful to gather our friends, colleagues, and families together to build a group of homes in one day. It will be like building a village.” In order to qualify for the assistance of a Project Mercy volunteer team, the residents receiving the homes –who own the land where the simple residences are constructed – must contribute significant sweat equity by pitching in on projects in advance of their own build day. And they don’t cease contributing when their own properties are complete, either. “Families that we have built for the year before always come back and help. It’s really cool to see...

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...

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:...

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,...

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...