YPN members solicited donations from local merchants to give to the Boys and Girls Club.
The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Ventura provides comprehensive after-school and summer-break services to hundreds of low-income children for just a small fee that is a fraction of the actual costs to pay for staff and facilities. As Executive Director Patti Birmingham puts it, the club couldn’t exist without generous community support.
Which is why the Young Professionals Network (YPN) of the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors (VCCAR) selected the club as its designated charity for the annual YPN Month of Giving this year, said YPN Chair Vanessa Rice, a sales executive with Fidelity Home Warranty.
“We wanted to choose a local organization and one that helped children,” she explained. So the group of younger real estate professionals – Realtors and affiliated members who work for title companies, lenders, escrow companies and others involved in residential real estate transactions – hosted a fundraiser at Peirano’s restaurant in downtown Ventura which raised $7,900 for the Boys and Girls Club.
YPN members solicited donations from local merchants to be auctioned off at the event, and Peirano’s generously offered the space for the event at no charge.
“That was huge,” Rice noted. “If you have to pay for the venue, that takes a lot out of what you can give back.”
Birmingham said the clubs only charge a $25 a year membership fee for after-school programs and $50 a week for summer programs, while it costs about $2,400 per child for after-school programs and $3,600 for year-round participation.
“Donations like this mean everything for us. They make all the difference in serving these kids, and they are families who need support,” she said.
Ashley Anderson, VCCAR’s 2022 president, said the Association is proud to support community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.
“Realtors know their communities and their needs well and believe in strengthening those communities,” Anderson said. “Realtors and their companies give back in many ways throughout the year, and as an Association we are proud to contribute as well.”
The California Association of Realtors launched the Young Professional Network Month of Giving program in 2015 to give back to local communities. Each local chapter selects its charity of choice and plans fundraising efforts.
