At the beginning of 2014, Vickie and Jen chose "giving back the community" as the theme for our 51st year in business. Since then, Bell-Anderson has donated over $16,000 to local charities and organizations that were chosen by our staff. The staff members of Bell-Anderson were given funds to donate
At the beginning of 2014, Vickie and Jen chose "giving back the community" as the theme for our 51st year in business. Since then, Bell-Anderson has donated over $16,000 to local charities and organizations that were chosen by our staff. The staff members of Bell-Anderson were given funds to donate as they chose and here are a few stories of what they did with them!
Ken Allen, CPM®, ARM®, CMCA®, AMS®, Property Manager
I donated half of my community dollars to the Wounded Warrior Project which provides practical support for wounded service members, helping them to heal both physically and mentally. I watched my real father and two of my uncles suffer physically and mentally from being blown out of a fox hole in WW2 until they both died of liver cancer as there was no one out there like the Wounded Warriors there to help them. One of my step fathers during operations in Normandy was seriously shot in the back, below the waist and lived with the physical and mental pain surrounding his injuries. He shot himself in 1965 because there was no one to help.Since Vietnam I have seen the physical pain suffered by many of my friends, comrades, and relatives, as there has been no one there to help them. There are other types of issues that they face besides being wounded, mental issues, sometimes there are employment issues, money issues, being homeless, etc.
I also donated to the Kent Relay for Life and have participated and been the Chairperson for the Survivor committee of the Renton Relay for Life since I was diagnosed with Cancer in 2007. I do this because if it was not for the American Cancer Society and the money from Relay for Life and other fundraising activities for research, I would not be here today.
Lastly, I donated to the Walk for Cystic Fibrosis, and I participated in the walk last spring with Ben’s Buddies. I do this as I have known of some children of co-workers in the past and I work with a vendor whose son has it and I have seen what the disease causes and want to help to find a cure. Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common life-shortening, childhood-onset diseases, for which there is currently no cure.
Kasey Medina. RMP®, Residential Property Manager
Part of my community service funds was donated to Team Ben’s Buddies for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk (photo above!). Ben is an amazing young man who comes from a vendor and family that are dear to our hearts here at Bell-Anderson. We are all rooting for him and for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to find a cure!
The other part of my funds went to donate movie tickets for sensory friendly films to an Autism Support Group here in the Kent area. My husband works in the film industry and I was struck one day how I take watching movies in a movie theater with my 9 year old son for granted. I have been really blessed with two happy and healthy children, and there are a lot of families that don’t have it so easy. AMC Theaters offers a great program for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. Once a month, a family-friendly movie plays with the lights up and the sound turned down. The audience is welcome to get up, move around, dance, sing or do whatever is comfortable for them. Bell-Anderson sponsored the group to attend two different movies - Planes: Fire & Rescue & Big Hero 6.
