NAA Affiliates Support Industry’s Front-Line Workers

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The apartment industry's greatest asset is people, and many of its front-line workers fell on hard times as a result of COVID-19. In light of this, the Apartment Association of Greater Orlando (AAGO) Foundation announced in April 2020 that it had established the AAGO Foundation Industry Relief Fund in partnership with AAGO and the Bay Area Apartment Association (BAAA).

This fund will be used to provide much needed financial support to members of the larger-spanning central Florida apartment industry (the I-4 Corridor region) who have become unemployed due to COVID 19.

The AAGO Foundation established the IRF in anticipation of pending furloughs and layoffs of apartment industry professionals as a result of the pandemic. The IRF provides a onetime $500 grant to any impacted apartment industry professional who has been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic. The Foundation decided early on that anyone, whether on the management or supplier side of the business, would be eligible for funding even if their former company was not a member of the association.

In less than a week from approval the Foundation, in partnership with AAGO and the BAAA, had established an easy online application (in English and Spanish) process and begun receiving small and large donations! Foundation Board members and other volunteers wrote personal letters of encouragement for each recipient and made a concerted effort to process applications quickly so that applicants had a check in hand within 7 days of submitting. The IRF raised over $50,000 in less than a month to support the effort and remains active in the event more layoffs transpire in the coming months. Fortunately, layoffs were not as pervasive as the Board thought they might be, and some of the money (with donor permission) will likely be repurposed to support local charity partners in need of support in light of the pandemic.

“Thank you for following up with me, and for passing on this blessing of information,” said one relief fund recipient, a furloughed onsite leasing professional. “Since being in this industry for 10 years now, 4 of which being in Orlando I honestly have never had more of a wonderful experience working in Orlando and with AAGO. I can't put into words how much of a blessing this is to me in this difficult time. Thank you for all you do, and thank you for helping those in need, it truly is appreciated. Take care and stay safe during these hard times.”

“I wanted to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart,” said one laid-off supplier partner. “This is such a blessing! Thank you and everyone at [The AAGO Foundation] all the partners, suppliers, manager’s, management teams, and staff who made this possible. I appreciate everything you guys are doing.”