AvalonBay Communities to Participate in Annual, Nationwide Volunteer Service Day

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorWashington, D.C.–AvalonBay Communities Inc. will participate as a partner in USA WEEKEND’s “Make A Difference Day” to be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 this year. This is the 18th year of the event, which is celebrated as a national day of volunteer service. This annual event celebrates neighbors helping neighbors to improve communities through coordinated volunteer projects.“We have always had ‘spirit of caring’ as one of the company’s values and want to extend it to the residents of our communities as well,” Kevin Thompson, vice president of marketing at AvalonBay Communities, tells MHN. “We believe this can enhance the lives of our residents and connect us with the larger neighborhood around us.”AvalonBay has 50,000 apartment units across 10 states. “There is a potential of 100,00 people turning up for volunteer work,” Thompson adds. The residents as well as the employees of the company will participate in this event. They will decide on volunteer projects to organize or participate in for one day in their area.  “The projects will be based on whatever the local needs are,” says Thompson.Projects can range from ambitious undertakings, such as collecting truckloads of clothing for the homeless, to smaller acts like spending an afternoon helping an elderly neighbor or relative.Each year, hundreds of the projects done on “Make A Difference Day” are selected for honors and charitable donations. “We will monitor the success of the event and decide whether it will be held every year. Obviously we would want this to be a long-term commitment,” says Thompson.Marcia Bullard, president & CEO of USA WEEKEND Magazine, says, “AvalonBay is the first apartment developer and owner to make such a significant commitment to ‘Make A Difference Day.’ It is great example of how business leaders can have a positive impact in their communities.”