Apartment Trends Magazine February 2016 | Page 8

FROM THE PRESIDENT DJ LONGO | TERRA FIRMA REAL ESTATE AAMD Celebrates 25 Year Partnership with Family Homestead W e have so many things to Celebrate lately in our com- munity, and one more big one is a quarter century of charitable giving and work with Family Homestead. Family Homestead is an organization near and dear to the heart of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver (AAMD), and has been for 25 Years! While we make efforts to transition the city into the prosperous and attractive destination it is becoming, Family Homestead assists struggling families in transitioning off the streets. Over the 25 years the Apartment Association of Metro Denver has as- sisted in the Homestead cause, it is estimated our association and industry have raised over $500,000 in funds that go towards supporting the transitional system through Family Homestead. AAMD volunteers and sponsors present Family Homestead with a check from a recent charity auction By combining our efforts, struggling families from various backgrounds are given second chances in life net and coaching system that is Family Homestead. Hopefully you can safe and getting their feet baskets, children’s toys, restaurant gift cards, sports tickets and wine are all at both keeping their children back on the ground. Rather than providing a free handout of an apartment or overnight shelter, Family Homestead directly aids its tenants in “learning to live in independent housing while the parents strive to develop a source of income.” AAMD began our partnership with Family Homestead in 1991 and since have helped the organization support an estimated 6,000 families! Those efforts are solidified further through our annual Charity Auction event, where donated gifts are collected prior to the event and bid on during by AAMD members. The winning bidder gets to the take the prize home, but the real winners of the event are Family Homestead, who reinvest in their mission 100% of the proceeds from the AAMD Charity Auction. The Apartment Association of Metro Denver will host a Charity Auction on Thursday February 25th at the Mile High Station venue in downtown Denver. All proceeds from the event go to supporting this wonderful safety 6 | TRENDS • FEBRUARY 2016 attend and celebrate with AAMD, but if not please consider a donation: gift popular items. A mission to better the lives of those struggling is only as strong as its foundation. To ensure that Family Homestead is aided beyond monetary contributions, our Apartment Association also allocates time to the organization. Every spring season brings with it the AAMD Spring Clean; prop- erty managers and owners, suppliers and vendors, and AAMD staff all come together in the spring to donate time in the field itself. Spring Clean is about visiting the different properties around Denver and cleaning up the exteriors and playgrounds that attract families to these facilities. Mr. Leslie Jones has been the Executive Director at the helm of Family’s mission for a while now, and though “we don’t put a dollar value on donated labor and supplies, I’m guessing maybe $125,000” [in maintenance and improvements]. Our next Spring Clean event is scheduled for Friday, June 10. For more details on how to volunteer or donate please contact the Association office. The Apartment Association of Metro Denver is proud to celebrate this 25 years of giving, and we hope you’ll help us continue to support the partnership with Family Homestead. Such a great organization leading a great cause is exactly what Denver represents as a city and community. www.aamdhq.org