Pleasanton, CA — July 22, 2020 — An integral part of our brand identity and culture, NextHome wouldn’t be the same without our beloved mascot Luke. In honor of his birthday, we have declared June 15th our company’s annual day of community service and outreach – Luke Day. We use this day as an opportunity to step away from our business and come together to serve our local areas and the people and pets that thrive there. This year, Luke Day took place on July 15th to allow more time for planning and execution in our ever-changing world.
Last year, many of our NextHomies organized pet adoption events or raised donations for our national charity partner, Canine Companions for Independence. This year, we encouraged Luke Day efforts to focus on the youth in our communities. With daycares and schools closed, friends and teachers absent from their daily lives, and comforting routines disrupted, children of all ages have gone through very trying times the past few months.
One of the best attributes of Luke Day is that each NextHome office across the country (close to 500 of them) has the opportunity to make a difference in their local community by donating their time, supplies, or funds to a charity of their choice.
Our orange hearts are full of amazing stories from Luke Day events from coast to coast.
NextHome Cedar Street Realty in Roseville, California held a drive-through donation event to support Snowline Hospice, Keaton’s Child Cancer Alliance, and Habitat for Humanity in their community.
The idea stemmed from hearing from clients who had spent much of the lock-down cleaning and organizing, while many donation spots were closed. The team opened their office as a donation center where community members could simply drive up, open their trunks, and the team removed everything safely and without contact. Through their efforts, NextHome Cedar Street Realty collected two semi-trucks full of donated goods thanks to 100-plus drive-though donations.
“We love that our company intentionally sets aside one day each year to give back to our communities,” said Amy Rivers and Sherry Montalvo, the owners of NextHome Cedar Street Realty. “We feel tremendous camaraderie with our NextHomies across the country as we all prepare and execute different events for wonderful causes.”
NextHome Preferred in Felton, Delaware organized a fundraiser to collect needed supplies for Greater Dover Boys & Girls Club to support local children who have been affected by COVID-19. The organization, whose mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens, stayed open during quarantine to provide a safe environment for the children of essential workers.
The team at NextHome Preferred collected enough supplies through donations to supply Greater Dover Boys & Girls Club with craft supplies, sports equipment, hygiene items, and monetary donations to ensure the kids would have the enjoyable and safe summer that they deserve.
“Luke Day is an exciting time for our office to be able to go out and give back to a community that gives so much to us!” said Bobbi Slagle, owner of NextHome Preferred.
Our corporate office based in Pleasanton, California raised donations for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. It’s been an emotionally and financially difficult year with many families facing hardship, which is greatly felt by children. Many of our neighbors rely on school meals for their children, and we wanted to offer some support – because food is a basic human right.
Because of the organization’s efficiency and vast network of food resources, the Food Bank is able to distribute $7 worth of groceries for every dollar we raised. Our team raised $2,846 which allowed $19,922 of fresh fruits and vegetables and staple groceries to be donated to children, adults, and seniors in Alameda County.
Additionally, 250 plush Lukes have found their new homes with kids participating in the free lunch program. We’re so glad that Luke brought a smile to their faces as he does to ours.
Company-wide, NextHome held an additional fundraiser for our national charity partner, Canine Companions for Independence – a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.
Thanks to The Orange Appeal Store, our NextHomies not only were able to purchase Luke Day hats and shirts for their local events, but a portion of the proceeds went to a cause we all love and support. Together, we were able to raise $2,428 toward Canine Companions.
We can all make a difference, even with the unprecedented times our communities are experiencing. We couldn’t be more proud of our NextHomies across the country as we hear about their Luke Day events and the organizations they’ve helped.
Interested in being a part of the NextHome Real Estate Franchise? Contact VP of Sales Charis Moreno at Charis@NextHome.com.
Each office is an independently owned and operated business.