San Antonio Apartment Association
Project: 2010 American Red Cross Heroes Campaign
The San Antonio Apartment Association (SAAA) conducted a campaign to raise money for the American Red Cross of San Antonio. The campaign raised more than $22,000 for the Red Cross, with seven management companies and five properties raising more than $1,000 each. The top fundraiser among management companies was Top “Dawg” Management Company with more than $8,800, and SAAA honored Melanie Taylor, manager of The Amberton apartments, for her property’s outstanding performance raising more than $5,500 for the campaign.
Lubbock Apartment Association
Project: July 4th Street Dance
Lubbock Apartment Association’s Community Service Committee took on the responsibility this year of sponsoring and planning Lubbock’s annual July 4th street dance. The dance was held in conjunction with the city’s 4th on Broadway celebration, which included a parade, street fair, an evening concert and fireworks. The committee sold t-shirts to benefit the association’s community service fund, which will be used to make repairs at a local youth center and make donations to a food bank, as well as other charitable donations. 
Corpus Christi Apartment Association
Project: "Coastal Bend Walk and Roll Celebration" 2K Walk
The Corpus Christi Apartment Association participated in the "Coastal Bend Walk and Roll Celebration" 2K Walk on October 17, 2009. The association had 5 participants for the walk, which was for disability awareness for employment. More than 350 people attended, and it was the first walk for this cause held by the City Human Relations Commission.
El Paso Apartment Association
Project: 10th Annual Christmas Fair
The El Paso Apartment Association (EPAA) held its 10th Annual Christmas Fair on December 10, 2009, benefitting the Lee and Beulah Moor Children's Home. The fair is held at the Children's Home and includes a visit from Santa, games, movies, prizes and food. All of the booths at the fair are planned and operated by EPAA owner and vendor members, and at this year's fair, the El Paso Fire Department brought a fire engine for the children to board. The association also raffled off a 47" LCD plasma TV.
Before the fair, at the EPAA Thanksgiving Luncheon, members drew names of children who live at the home to buy presents for. In addition to the gifts for the children, the successful fair enabled EPAA to present a $500 donation to the home.
Project: Stock Our Shelves drive
The El Paso Apartment Association (EPAA) partnered with the Salvation Army for several months in late 2009 to collect food and other items for the "Stock Our Shelves" charity drive.
As part of the drive, EPAA collected food items, household goods, baby items, blankets, clothing, coats and toys. Approximately 12 member communities participated in the drive, and EPAA filled Salvation Army trucks several times with donated items.
Houston Apartment Association
Project: School Supply Drive 2009
The Houston Apartment Association (HAA) was recognized as a Community Service Star in February 2010 for its 2009 school supply drive. HAA worked with Area Code Assistance Ministries, which serves 10 agencies, to conduct the drive. HAA performed collections at HAA member communities, area businesses and the HAA office.
The association raised more than $30,000 and collected more than 200 boxes of supplies, serving approximately 3,500 children. With HAA's donations, an entire class of preschoolers in Galveston County displaced by Hurricane Ike were outfitted with uniforms and back-to-school supplies.
Galveston County Apartment Association's Product Service Council
Project: "Toys for Tots" Toy Drive
The Galveston County Apartment Association's Product Service Council held a very successful toy drive for the Toys for Tots program in September 2009. Participants collected more than 250 toys. The drive was such a hit that the council has scheduled another for December 2009.
El Paso Apartment Association
Project: Charity Golf Tournament
The El Paso Apartment Association (EPAA) held its first charity golf tournament in support of its "Under One Roof" program in September 2009. "Under One Roof" provides monetary help, food, clothing, furniture and household items to those in need in El Paso and surrounding areas. EPAA raised more than $6,500 for the charity at the tournament and was able to provide furniture and clothing in October to a single mother with three children who lost all her belongings in a fire.
Austin Apartment Association
Project: School Supply Drive
The Austin Apartment Association (AAA) was recognized as a Community Service Star in October 2009 for its 2009 Operation KISS (Kids in Need of School Supplies) drive. AAA conducts Operation KISS annually to collect school supplies and monetary donations from residents of Austin-area apartment communities to benefit homeless children enrolled in Austin ISD. The drive kicked ran from June through mid-August, when donations were delivered to Project HELP (Homeless Education and Learning Program).
More than 100 apartment communities participated in the project, donating three truckloads of school supplies and more than $3,700 in financial donations.
Apartment Association of the Panhandle
Project: Raffle for Amarillo Area CASA
The Apartment Association of the Panhandle (AAP) conducted a raffle for the the Amarillo Area CASA Foundation. CASA provides court-appointed special advocates for children. AAP sold raffle tickets to help raise $10,000 for CASA's annual golf tournament fundraiser.
Project: Faith City Mission Donation Drive
AAP held a donation drive for the Amarillo Local Faith City Mission. Faith City Mission provides support and services for the homeless. AAP collected donations of hats, gloves, scarfs, bed sheets, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essentials for 200 homeless persons served by the mission.
Big Country Apartment Association
Project: Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive
Big Country Apartment Association (BCAA) hosted its annual food drive in November 2008, for the fifth year in a row. The association collected a grand total of $1,260 in donations for the purchase of Thanksgiving Food Baskets, which were distributed to 23 area families. BCAA's 2008-2009 President Tammy Kister and AE Kimberly Horton delivered the baskets the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Each basket included all of the essential items needed to prepare a Thanksgiving feast, as well as additional items to stock each family's pantry.
Project: School Supply Drive
In fall of 2008, BCAA held its annual school supply drive. The drive was a success, collecting a variety of school supplies for students at the Woodson Center for Excellence alternative high school and Houston Student Achievement Center. Participants donated crayons, markers, construction paper, college-ruled paper, glue, spiral notebooks, rulers and other items, as well as $120 in cash donations for the purchase of supplies.
Project: Food Drive
In March 2009, BCAA held a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of West Central Texas. The drive raised 155 pounds of food, providing 121 meals for the region's hungry.
Piney Woods Apartment Association
Project: Blood Drive
The Piney Woods Apartment Association (PWAA) and TAA recognized Margo Russell as a Community Service Star in July 2009 because of an effort she championed this winter to support the Blood Center of East Texas. Russell, who has been donating blood for 29 years, created the Angelina River Challenge between the PWAA members in Nacogdoches and those in Lufkin. PWAA members rose to the occasion, donating 78 units of blood, which could save 234 lives.
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Pictured left to right: Team Captain Nora Mireles with Rasa Floors, Richard Morena with CORT,
CCAA Executive Director Toni Davis and CCAA President Michelle Hallum
Corpus Christi Apartment Association
Project: Relay for Life cancer walk
In June 2009, the Corpus Christi Apartment Association (CCAA) Community Relations Committee participated in the "Relay for Life" cancer walk. The team walked together as a group for the 12 hour relay, with just three hours of rest time. The group completed 281 laps around Whataburger Field, totaling 94 miles, and raised $1,300 for cancer research.
Project: Beautification of the South Texas Women's Shelter
The Corpus Christi Apartment Association (CCAA) partnered with a number of local businesses this summer to beautify the backyard area of the South Texas Women's Shelter. CCAA spearheaded the project, and participants donated materials, time and elbow grease to transform the area for shelter clients and their children.
El Paso Apartment Association
The El Paso Apartment Association (EPAA) was recognized as a Community Service Star at TAA's February Board Meeting for its 9th Annual Christmas Fair benefiting the Lee & Beulah Moor Children's Home.
The fair was held December 13, 2008. EPAA members provided gifts for more than 50 children, as well as hosting the fair, which offered food, games, prizes, drinks, ice cream and pictures with Santa. A number of booths manned by volunteers featured such activities as face painting, a cake walk, animal ballons, and video games.
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in a vintage fire truck provided and driven by State Rep. Joe Pickett, who also provided books on safety for all those taking pictures with Santa, and door prizes including Visa cash cards ranging from $25 to $100 were awarded throughout the day.
EPAA partnered with a number of local businesses to sponsor the program, providing services and/or cash for door prizes and covering costs associated with the program, and volunteers operated the booths at the fair, which was a huge success.
Big Country Apartment Association
Project: Walk With Pride
In 2007, the Big Country Apartment Association (BCAA) teamed with the Abilene Board of Realtors and the Salvation Army for the Walk With Pride Shoe Drive for school-aged children.
Tammy Kister, president of BCAA and a board member with the Abilene Board of Realtors, and Association Executive Mitzi Moore spearheaded BCAA's involvement. Kister brought the program to the attention of BCAA's members and prepared donation forms while Moore prepared fliers and made email announcements to members to promote the program. In addition, Moore decorated donation shoe boxes for each table at BCAA's monthly General Membership Meetings. Property members sent fliers to their residents and their residents rose to the occasion.
BCAA raised $1,000 for the Walk With Pride Shoe Drive, providing 62 pairs of shoes to needy children!
Project: School Supply Drive
BCAA has held school supply drives since 2005. The school supply drive was created to provide less fortunate children the tools to become educated, not letting a pencil, pen or paper keep them from learning.
The 2007 drive started in July and concluded September 25, 2007. The association sent email notices regarding the drive and distributed fliers at their membership meetings.
The 2007 drive resulted in a donation of more than $3,000 in school supplies to the Woodson School of Excellence and the Houston Student Achievement Center.
Project: Blood Drive
On June 19, 2007, the BCAA held its first blood drive. During the association's June General Membership luncheon, the Meek Blood Center parked its mobile blood center at the luncheon location and gave pints of Blue Bell ice cream to everyone that donated. Members joined together to donate 27 pints of blood!
BCAA hopes to make the blood drive an annual event.
Project: March of Dimes Walk America
With the help of BCAA members, Tammy Kister raised $1,450 for the 2007 March of Dimes Walk America campaign. Kister took second place in the Top 5 Highest Raising Veteran Walker category.
Houston Apartment Association
Project: Operation Save a Life In November 2007, the Houston Apartment Association (HAA) proudly teamed with KTRK-ABC13, Kidde, the Texas Lottery, Chevy and the Houston Fire Department to promote the Operation Save a Life program. Operation Save a Life promotes fire safety in single family and apartment homes. HAA's focus was on getting information about the program out via the Intenet and television commercials and by distributing several thousand magnets with fire safety information to HAA member properties. HAA hopes its efforts will prevent fires and decrease loss of life and property.
Apartment Association of the Panhandle Project: Bake sale and gift baskets for the Amarillo Veterans Hospital The Apartment Association of the Panhandle (AAP) held a bake sale in July to raise money for gift baskets the association delivered to hospitalized veterans in Amarillo. AAP members baked cookies and cakes and collected donations of baked goods from the local United Supermarkets and Albertson?s Bakeries. Stewart Title Company Amarillo and the association's local product-service council members donated a number of items for the gift baskets, which each included a coffee mug, a deck of cards, a roll of quarters, chocolates, pens and more. AAP's community service committee delivered the baskets to patients at the Amarillo Veterans Hospital, and a representative from the Amarillo Globe News took photos. The committee then donated money left over after the baskets were distributed to the VA Nursing Home. Committee members reported that patients were extremely gratified by the gifts. The project was the idea of AAP President Donna Burch, who has had family members hospitalized at the Veterans Hospital in the past. Oftentimes, patients go to the hospital for a doctor's visit and are immediately hospitalized without items they need from home, so the gift baskets helped provide some much-appreciated supplies! Houston Apartment Association Project: Water Wise program In an effort to promote water safety and save lives, the Houston Apartment Association (HAA) partnered with Texas Children?s Hospital, the YMCA and Clear Channel Outdoor this spring to launch the Water Wise water safety campaign. The campaign spread the message of water safety through speaker presentations, safety and rescue training, swim safety literature, and media articles and coverage. HAA hosted the kickoff of the program at the Luxor Park Apartments, unveiling public education billboards during a joint press conference. HAA President-elect John Ridgway spoke on behalf of HAA, with HAA President Suan Tinsley and board member Margaret Balderaz answering questions in English and Spanish. The campaign received strong media support, and the Water Wise speaker's bureau conducted more than 17 presentations, in both English and Spanish, at schools, service clubs and apartment communities, reaching more than 3,612 concerned parents and adults. Tinsley spoke to local media about HAA?s participation in the program and the association's commitment to reminding parents about the importance of watching their children around bodies of water.
Apartment Association of Greater Dallas
Project: Reconciliation Outreach Ministries
The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas (AAGD) was recognized as a Community Service Star at TAA's October Board Meeting for its spring 2008 project supporting the Reconciliation Outreach Ministries program (www.rodallas.org) in Dallas. Reconciliation Outreach Ministries' goal is to establish and maintain a strong Christian community within inner cities and to provide a safe and loving environment for healing lives, restoring families and individuals to a productive lifestyle. As part of this effort, the ministry maintains transitional housing for men and women completing a nine-month program to assist with life-controlling problems such as addiction, homelessness, criminal history and behavioral dysfunctions. A number of the ministry's homes were in need of substantial repairs earlier this year, and the AAGD Community Services Committee, with the support of the AAGD Board of Directors, elected to repair three of the ministry's residential homes, as well as a play area located behind the homes. With the volunteer help and financial support of its members, AAGD completed substantial repairs and renovations to the homes, including new roofs, siding, an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp, irrigation systems and landscaping improvements. The play area was upgraded and cleaned with repairs to the playground equipment, sandbox and security lighting. AAGD member companies provided all materials and labor for the project, which totaled more than $55,000.
Houston Apartment Association
Project: Safe In My Place The Houston Apartment Association (HAA) was recognized as a Community Service Star at the July Board Meeting for its "Safe In My Place" program. "Safe In My Place" provides an online resource for renters' safety information at www.safeinmyplace.com. At this site, visitors can find tips and downloads tailored to renters with the click of a mouse. Managers can also download resources, such as door hangers, brochures and forms for getting involved in summer swim lessons with the YMCA. HAA encourages owner members to link their corporate sites to the "Safe In My Place" site. The site was originally intended to provide fire and water safety information, but HAA has already expanded it to include hurricane preparedness tips, and the association intends to continue updating the site with other renter safety information as needed. The project also includes radio spots in English, featuring HAA President John Ridgeway, and Spanish, featuring Houston City Council Member James Rodriguez, to provide water and fire safety tips. The English spots ran on three AM talk radio stations in Houston over the course of a month, and HAA is working with Spanish radio stations in the area to air the Spanish spots as public service announcements (PSAs). HAA also posted the radio spots on the www.safeinmyplace.com site, along with fire safety PSAs from the association's 2007 community service campaign with local television station ABC 13, the Houston Fire Department and fire safety company Kidde.