Holiday Cheers Party
The 24th Annual Holiday Cheers Benefit is a fundraiser benefiting the Apartment Association Outreach Inc., a 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to assisting residents with rent payments during times of personal emergencies or crisis. Monies raised during the Benefit will help fund the Rent Assistance programs of various local agencies including:
Due to COVID19, the fundraiser will be a hybrid event with portions held online and other portions happening live at the Holiday Cheers Party at Kenwood Country Club. All members and the general public will have a full week of bidding opportunities for silent auction items beginning on December 2 and will culminate on December 9 with the live auction, Rapid Raffle, Mystery Bags and raffle ticket items. If you would like to donate an item, please contact the Association office, 513 407-8612 or click here. If you do not have an item to donate or the time to buy something to donate, we can go out and purchase items for you. Cash donations are acceptable and will be used to buy items for the benefit in your company’s name. This is one event that will not be possible without the support of all our members and the surrounding community. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. To Donate, click here To Register Online to Attend, click here What All Is Happening During the Holiday Cheers Party and Benefit?
Wine and Bourbon Mystery Bags sponsored by Rent Manager, ePremium Insurance, AmRent, Home Depot Pro and Conserve The mystery bags make their return this year! The Wine Mystery Bags include a bottle of wine and a scratch-off lottery ticket. You won't know what you win until you open the bag. Each bag is only $40! The Bourbon Mystery Bags are back too! Each bag contains a bottle of bourbon and lottery ticket to try your luck. A handful of mystery bags also include $50 cash! Each bag is only $50! There is a limited supply! Purchase of Mystery Bags is at the in-person event on December 9 only. Rapid Raffle sponsored by Chadwell Supply The Rapid Raffle is changing this year! This year, we will be hosting one Rapid Raffle with six cash winners totaling $3000 in cash! For $10 a chance, or 3 chances for $20, you could win up to $500 cash. Live Auction Don't miss your opportunity to bid on some top-notch, hot items that the committee is busily putting together. Check back for more information once we get the confirmations. Basket Raffle With over 50 themed baskets expected this year, make our Holiday Cheers Party and Benefit your one stop holiday gifts for those ‘hard-to-shop-for’ friends and family. All baskets are donated by local apartment communities. For more information or to get your community involved, contact Jennifer Illanz at BRG Apartments at jillanz@brgapartments.com. Other Great Items Donated Thanks to the many great donations from our members and community supporters. It is through your dedication that we are able to host such a successful event. Where Does the Money Raised At The Auction Go? AAO’s Rent Assistance, our largest social service program, is for people who cannot pay their rent due to a personal emergency or conflict beyond their control, such as illness or unexpected unemployment. During this pandemic crisis, the incredible work of the Outreach provides assistance and hope to others in need. FreeStore Foodbank, CAIN, Jewish Family Service, and Santa Maria, our four social service partners, and we, are granting funds, in record numbers this year, to assist families and individuals in meeting their rent obligations. Also, AAO grants funds for emergency assistance for families or individuals confronted by a presumably one-time and unique obstacle on the individual or family’s path to self-sufficiency. How Does The Rent Assistance Program Personally Help People? The testimonials we have received from our partners and the recipients of our aid is heartwarming. We are so proud of our efforts and want to continue to do so with your help and the proceeds from this year’s Holiday Cheers event! For example, Mrs. K, a forty-year-old woman, called requesting financial assistance. Mrs. K has lived in her apartment for over 13 years and has supported her family working as a waitress at the same restaurant for 11 years. Six weeks ago, on her way to work, she became ill and went to the emergency room. Mrs. K was hospitalized for several days. She had a heart attack and was unable to return to work for eight weeks. Mrs. K had no medical or disability insurance through her job. Having no income, Mrs. K was unable to pay her rent. Concerned about her rent and other bills, Mrs. K attempted to return to work before being released by her doctor, but became too ill. Mrs. K began calling agencies seeking assistance. Finally, another agency in the area referred her to one of our partners. Funds donated by The Apartment Association Outreach were used to assist Mrs. K and prevent her from being evicted. She has since returned to work, still without a medical release, and a social worker is continuing to work with her to assist her in obtaining expensive cardiac medications and facilitate a process to pay the other bills that accumulated while she was off work. Another example is Mrs. X and her husband went to our partner seeking assistance in obtaining permanent housing. The couple was expecting a child and desired to settle down, so they could provide a stable home for their new family. The family chose to enroll in the Family Case Management Program, receiving help with budgeting, building and restoring credit and job support for job retention. Suddenly, Mrs. X’s pregnancy became high risk and her husband became the sole financial support for their family until the baby arrived. Because of the unexpected high risk pregnancy conditions, Mrs. X’s family was assisted financially so that they could maintain their housing. A third example includes J, who received custody of his 16-year-old son, this past summer. At that time, he had to move into a larger apartment. He had lived at the previous apartment for 11 years. J. worked for a home food delivery service for more than 4 years when he was let go from his job, due to an accident. The unemployment claim is currently tied up in an appeal process. J. has depleted his small savings account paying rent and other necessary bills. While looking for employment opportunities, he received financial help in paying his rent, so that he would not lose his apartment. He has recently secured a new employment position. We want to thank everyone in advance, who will help make our Holiday Cheers Event one for the record books, and in turn, help many more individuals and families in need during this crisis. |
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