A big thank you goes out to Lola Audu! Lola with Audu Real Estate in Grand Rapids got wind of my community project that I have been working on with ICCF and Woman Council of Realtors. She loved the idea and has bloged it for me on her own blog.
Our community project is F.L.O.W. (friends landscaping our world). A non-profit community project to landscape lower income family homes in the city of Grand Rapids.
Lola is very much a well respected person and realtor in our community. Her support means so much to me.
I have to admit I think her blog looks better then mine as she knows how to do all the “cool” stuff!
Check out her blog at http://activerain.com/blogsview/351291/F-L-O-W
Thus far getting support from the community for material things has been great! We are able to get local artist help for the out door art auction, Items for the silent auction, donation of a website (which will be up and running soon) a sign company has agreed to make our signs for free etc…..however like any other non-profit we need cold hard cash.
Your cash donation is a charitable tax write off. No donation is too little. Here on our F.L.O.W. blog site we have pay pal set up for your convenience.
The website is www.flowgr.com (coming soon) this website will feature all sponsors.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Personal thoughts from Michelle Gordon
To date I have posted on this blog information that has been PR worthy. However, a true blog is a web journal, where personal thoughts and ideas are shared. Google thinks of them to be more reliable source of information, as they contain a 2 way conversation and are constantly updated VS a website that may be updated once a year, and no access to a 2 way conversation. So feel free to post your comments………PLEASE!
So here it goes, I am posting my personal feelings about this project. However I will admit to using spell check, I am not going totally free of help!
Yes personal feelings…………….as this project is very personal to me. When I decided to do this project the summer of 2007, I had no idea the effect it would have on me. I thought, I had a good idea the effect it would have on the new home owners. However, they blew me away as well.
The home owners already had a sense of accomplishment as they just purchased a home which they worked very hard to get themselves in a position to do so. However, they were amazed that someone would donate time and money to them. Jason at signature did not even know them and he was donating his time and money. They cried when the truck of materials came down the street and so did I! So I cried 3 times that day, with each home owner!
One home we did was in a neighborhood where the other homes were kept up well, the neighbors were thrilled to see the yard transformed. Another yard we landscaped, the houses that surrounded that home had trash in the yards and toys left out…….. When I went back to visit, the yards were cleaned up……..they had removed the trash, mowed the lawn and put in a few plants of their own!
The new owners were thrilled, they did not just buy a house, they bought a home they were eager to come home to. When people are proud of them selves, they become a better person internally. They become better employees, better spouses, and better parents and on time bill payers as they want to keep this home. Some say we are a product of environment. By creating this community project we have just created an environment that believes in it takes a town to raise a family.
So when people ask me why, or say this is very good cause but what is in it for me……..It is hard to respond in such a short answer. I LOVE Grand Rapids! I do not want our community to be a statistic in this market. I want us to remember the 1950’s where we all helped our neighbors. We are all affected some how by this market. By keeping up our neighborhoods and holding on tight to the value of our homes, I think we can team up to make a positive difference.
WE being the key word here, WCR and ICCF can not do this with out you……….YOU as an individual or YOU as a company owner/manager………..Lets get with the FLOW and donate!
So here it goes, I am posting my personal feelings about this project. However I will admit to using spell check, I am not going totally free of help!
Yes personal feelings…………….as this project is very personal to me. When I decided to do this project the summer of 2007, I had no idea the effect it would have on me. I thought, I had a good idea the effect it would have on the new home owners. However, they blew me away as well.
The home owners already had a sense of accomplishment as they just purchased a home which they worked very hard to get themselves in a position to do so. However, they were amazed that someone would donate time and money to them. Jason at signature did not even know them and he was donating his time and money. They cried when the truck of materials came down the street and so did I! So I cried 3 times that day, with each home owner!
One home we did was in a neighborhood where the other homes were kept up well, the neighbors were thrilled to see the yard transformed. Another yard we landscaped, the houses that surrounded that home had trash in the yards and toys left out…….. When I went back to visit, the yards were cleaned up……..they had removed the trash, mowed the lawn and put in a few plants of their own!
The new owners were thrilled, they did not just buy a house, they bought a home they were eager to come home to. When people are proud of them selves, they become a better person internally. They become better employees, better spouses, and better parents and on time bill payers as they want to keep this home. Some say we are a product of environment. By creating this community project we have just created an environment that believes in it takes a town to raise a family.
So when people ask me why, or say this is very good cause but what is in it for me……..It is hard to respond in such a short answer. I LOVE Grand Rapids! I do not want our community to be a statistic in this market. I want us to remember the 1950’s where we all helped our neighbors. We are all affected some how by this market. By keeping up our neighborhoods and holding on tight to the value of our homes, I think we can team up to make a positive difference.
WE being the key word here, WCR and ICCF can not do this with out you……….YOU as an individual or YOU as a company owner/manager………..Lets get with the FLOW and donate!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Habitat for Humanity Woman build 2008
One of the homes we have selected to landscape is a home by Habitat for Humanity woman build. “With the help of Woman’s Council of Realtors and other community partners we can build much more then a simple house. We can help make a dream of affordable homeownership a reality for a hard working family and help strengthen the community in the process”. Quote from the funding department of Habitat for Humanity.
WCR is excited to be part of this project and it fits in so well with our mission of F.L.O.W.! WCR is going to supply the manual labor for this project. However we need a help of a woman owned business to donate the funds to support this project as well as a landscaping company that is woman owned. It can be one business or a group of business’s as long as it is Woman owned.
This project involves a little more then the landscaping:
Site-built garden shed
Garden tools (lawn mower, hose and sprinkler)
Landscape materials (top soil, sod, plantings)
Cost: $2,850.00
This home should get a lot of attention in the media, the company who sponsors this home is free to put of their company logo/sign in the yard during the yard transformation and will be honored at the garden party. (Along with all the other sponsorship advantages).
REMEMBER YOUR DONATION IS A TAX WRITE OFF!!!!!
Please e-mail Mary Kent for more details mkent@kentcountyhome.com
Hurry, there is only one of these homes, the first company to pledge and turn in their money will get to sponsor this home.
WCR is excited to be part of this project and it fits in so well with our mission of F.L.O.W.! WCR is going to supply the manual labor for this project. However we need a help of a woman owned business to donate the funds to support this project as well as a landscaping company that is woman owned. It can be one business or a group of business’s as long as it is Woman owned.
This project involves a little more then the landscaping:
Site-built garden shed
Garden tools (lawn mower, hose and sprinkler)
Landscape materials (top soil, sod, plantings)
Cost: $2,850.00
This home should get a lot of attention in the media, the company who sponsors this home is free to put of their company logo/sign in the yard during the yard transformation and will be honored at the garden party. (Along with all the other sponsorship advantages).
REMEMBER YOUR DONATION IS A TAX WRITE OFF!!!!!
Please e-mail Mary Kent for more details mkent@kentcountyhome.com
Hurry, there is only one of these homes, the first company to pledge and turn in their money will get to sponsor this home.
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