Paul Davis: Bringing Teams Together to Support Hurricane Ida Victims
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida’s devastating blow to communities in Louisiana and Mississippi, Scott Brooks, Jake Wilson and Amelia Podojil sprang into action. The team organized a water donation drive to provide water to residents facing unimaginable conditions as a result of this monstrous storm.
The team set an ambitious goal was to quickly fill one truck with 1,000 cases of water. As a result of the generosity of the Paul Davis corporate team, many Paul Davis Owners, FirstService sister Brands, and the Jacksonville Community, the team doubled its goal and delivered 2,654 cases of water to storm victims. Floor Coverings International stepped up and provided 450 cases, and Mickey McHenry of Paul Davis South Atlanta generously donated 300 cases.
As a result, hundreds of people impacted by Hurricane Ida will be able to drink, cook, and bathe with clean water. Thank you to the Paul Davis team and everyone involved who showed what it means to #FirstServeOthers!
The team at Paul Davis are experts at quickly mitigating the impacts of fire, floods and other disasters. In March of this year, the team worked with a beer distributor to deliver more than 1,300 cases of water to Houston-area residents impacted by the snow and ice storm.
FirstService Relief Fund Provides Peace of Mind to Employee Recovering from Emergency Surgery
CD works as a financial analyst with FirstService Residential New York. When she learned about the FirstService Relief Fund, she elected to set up automatic payroll donations so she could help colleagues facing personal financial crises. She never expected to find herself in need of a grant just a few years later.
CD recently experienced a medical emergency requiring surgery and hospitalization. We all know how quickly hospital bills can add up, and they can be financially crippling, even with good health insurance. While she was coping with her recovery, the mounting hospital bills created a lot of added stress and anxiety for her.
“I’m very grateful for the Relief Fund. Knowing that I would receive financial help to get me through a very difficult time gave me peace of mind,” said CD. “The process of applying was very straightforward, and I would encourage anyone who finds themselves in need of a grant to carefully review the instructions and make sure you have the proper documentation when you submit your application.”
In order to receive a grant, applicants must provide proof of financial hardship and be able to produce invoices that support their claim. We have put together a handy Application Checklist & Process Overview which we encourage everyone to review. Knowing what is required to receive a grant will help streamline the process and ensure grant recipients are paid quickly. In fact, when an applicant is able to provide all necessary documentation, grants can be approved and paid in as little as a week, which is a tremendous help to those facing financial hardship.
The FirstService Relief Fund was established to help employees and employees of franchises who are facing financial hardship immediately after a disaster or unforeseen personal hardship. Grants range from $500 to $3,000 and are paid directly to vendors such as hospitals and landlords. If you are facing personal hardship we encourage you to consider the FirstService Relief Fund. And if you are able to donate, please consider doing so. Every dollar donated goes to help our people in need, and no amount is too small. For more information, please visit www. firstservicerelief.com.
Floor Coverings International Helps Feed Needy Families
In March, 2020 Solidarity Sandy Springs was founded as a food pantry to provide assistance to families facing food insecurity during COVID shutdowns. Over time it has grown to also help provide school supplies for children. Support from the community has been inspiring, and today Solidarity Sandy Springs receives donations from schools, churches, synagogues and companies, as well as individuals. The support from the community has allowed the organization to obtain a van which is used to pick up donations throughout the community.
In August, the team at Floor Coverings International launched a donation drive to support Solidarity. The company hosted a potluck luncheon and encouraged team members to bring in donations for Solidarity Sandy Springs. The event generated more than four shopping carts filled with groceries and other essentials for families in need.
 Lee Smith of Floor Coverings International is joined by representatives from Solidarity Sandy Springs |
 Loading the truck with much needed food items for needy families |
“Solidarity was THRILLED with our donations,” said Lee Smith, corporate bookkeeper at Floor Coverings International. “We are looking forward to hosting another donation drive to support this great organization in the future.”
For information on how you can help Solidarity Sandy Springs, please visit their website.
Earth Day 2021: Sustainability Tips from California Closets Team Members
We’d like to thank Sara Scoville and Michael Swalberg from California Closets for sharing some of their tips for living more environmentally friendly lifestyles. Hope you enjoy this short video!Paul Davis: Supporting Autism Awareness is a Family Affair
For Kali Freeland, supporting Autism awareness is personal. Kali’s cousin, Mandy Conner, founded Northeast Florida Advocates for Autism and Related Disabilities. Mandy started her organization to raise awareness and funds for families in NE Florida with Autism and Related Disabilities. Mandy’s daughter Katelyn loves riding in golf carts, which inspired Mandy’s idea to organize a Golf Cart Poker Run for Autism.
Saturday, September 26th was the 7th Annual Katelyn’s Golf Cart Poker Run for Autism. Participating golf carts visit 5 stops around the Pirates Woods area of Fernandina. Police blocked the streets for 173 participating golf carts this year! At each stop, participants would draw one poker card and compete for the best hand. All cards / scoresheets were safely collected, and the winner was announced at the end of the day.
The event raised $35,000 this great cause!
“I am always proud to volunteer at this event with my family,” said Kali. “This year, I was proud to include Paul Davis slap bracelets in the event bags and represent our brand at this wonderful event!”
CertaPro: Celebrating Painters by Bringing the Painter Appreciation Cookout Home
CertaPro of St. Charles County in St. Louis, Missouri came up with an innovative way to celebrate their painters and families. In the past, the team gathered together for an annual Painter Appreciation Cookout. Due to Covid-19 guidelines there was no safe way to host 50+ painters and their families this year. Instead, the team delivered “gift buckets” filled with goodies and a bonus so they can enjoy a family cookout on CertaPro! Certa’s painters have worked extremely hard throughout this pandemic delivering quality work while maintaining a safe environment for themselves and for clients.
What a wonderful way to show appreciation for this dedicated and hard working team! And a thank you @sherwinwilliams for contributing to the goodies!
CertaPro: Supporting Alzheimer’s Awareness is a Family Affair
Jason, left, is joined by his wife Gimena, and Katherine and Brad Durham.
When Jason Phillips, Director of Strategic Accounts for CertaPro Painters, learned one of the company’s clients, JEA Senior Living, had formed a fundraising team for the virtual Walk to End Alzheimer’s he was quick to sign on to help.
He recruited family to join him, launched a fundraising page and promoted his plans through LinkedIn. Within a little over a week he exceeded his fundraising goal of $500.
The day of the walk, Jason was joined by his wife, his sister and her husband and they spent the morning hiking the beautiful Salmon Creek trail in his hometown of Vancouver, WA.
“Alzheimer’s is a disease that devastates many families, and it’s one that afflicts many residents of our client’s senior living facilities,” said Jason. “It was my pleasure to help raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and support the work JEA Senior Living does to honor the experience of aging for the residents they serve.”
JEA Senior Living operates more than 50 specialized care centers around the country to meet the special needs of Alzheimer’s patients.
For more information, or to make a donation, click here.
FirstService Residential: Brightens the Holidays for Foster Kids in Miami
California Closets: Supporting the Critical Work of the National Brain Tumor Society while Honoring One of Their Own
On a brilliant, sunny morning in Phoenix, thousands turned out to join the fight against brain tumors at the Phoenix Brain Tumor Walk. Nearly 70,000 Americans are living with a brain tumor today, and the National Brain Tumor Society is working tirelessly to influence and fund research and groundbreaking discoveries and programs.
The Phoenix event was special to the team at California Closets, as one of their beloved design consultants has been receiving treatment for a brain tumor since August. David Slivinski was diagnosed just days after his 40th birthday. David, who joined his colleagues at the Walk, was met with a special message at the finish line where he saw a sign created by the National Brain Tumor Society that read, “In Honor of David Slivinski.”
David continues to inspire all of us who have read his story or followed his blog with his positive attitude and appreciation of all the good things in life.
All Florida Pools: Toy Drive Makes a Big Splash
Kudos to the team at All Florida Pools for organizing a very successful toy drive in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The team collected more than 100 toys to brighten the holidays for deserving children in the local community. In addition to collecting toys, the team set up a fundraising page and will match all toy and cash donations received at the end of December.
During the months of October, November and December, All Florida Pools set up a collection box in its retail location for customers and staff members to use for their donations. This was a wonderful way to bring the team together and #FirstServeOthers.
