In addition to our passion for meeting the property management needs of our clients throughout Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Squamish, we believe we have a corporate responsibility to give back to the world we all share. Therefore, we both as a company and individuals, we are committed to supporting non-profit organizations in British Columbia, as well as much farther afield.
One of the key causes we support is Kiva (www.kiva.org), which provides loans to poverty-stricken individuals in Third World countries to empower them to become independent and successful in their own business ventures. In addition, each year before the end-of-the-year holidays, FirstService Residential British Columbia associates hold a Food Bank to benefit local food banks. We are proud that the volume of donated food continues to grow each year, and last year, we collected 40 boxes of food to donate to those in need. To learn more about your local Food Bank go to: www.foodbank.bc.ca.
In addition, our parent FirstService Residential created a $10 million emergency fund for damages incurred in our managed communities from catastrophic events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, major snowstorms, flooding or wind.
This funding was recently used after Hurricane Sandy devastated thousands of properties along the U.S. east coast, including 200 communities managed by FirstService Residential New York and FirstService Residential New Jersey, our affiliated companies. This immediate funding allowed repairs to begin immediately, enabling hundreds of residents and family members to get back to their daily lives.