Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Keller Williams Realty International Employees and Real Estate Agents To “Green” Local Low-Income Housing Development

Provided By KW Blog

KWRI_REDDay_2011

Last year, the Keller Williams Realty International Support Center participated in RED Day by beautifying and restoring the grounds at the Mary Lee Foundation, a private, non-profit service provider, specializing in residential treatment and vocational services for persons with disabilities. And though the odds were against us, with a torrential downpour of epic proportions – we managed to make a huge impact. Bu the work wasn’t done.
This year, more than 250 volunteers from KWRI in partnership with the Austin SW Market Center are heading back to the Mary Lee Foundation to finish the work we started!
In addition to deep-cleaning, beautifying, and making repairs that will improve the quality of life for residents, we are also taking steps to “green” our RED Day, such as:
  • - Using low VOC paint, CFL light bulbs, low-flow showerheads and eco-friendly cleaning supplies
  • - Performing energy-saving tasks such as cleaning air vents and refrigerator coils, re-caulking and installing weather-stripping where needed
  • - Water-saving landscaping and installing drought-resistant plants.
  • - Asking volunteers to reuse bring from home such as rags for cleaning and refillable water bottles to help stay hydrated
  • - Encouraging volunteers to carpool
  • - Providing residents with  laminated cards to serve as quick, visual reminders of all items that can be recycled
None of this would be possible without the help of several Austin-based companies. First, we’d like to thank TreeHouse, an Austin-based home improvement company dedicated to helping people improve the efficiency, health and sustainability of their homes, for donating/discounting products to be used in the residences. Kevin Graham, VP Marketing and Co-Founder of Treehouse says,”We are especially thrilled to be a part of Keller Williams Red Day. The combination of the Keller Williams team with TreeHouse products is a recipe for some very positive change at a very deserving place. Thanks for letting us piggy-back on a wonderful effort!”
We are also grateful to Elizabeth Frisch, Director of Development at A Nurtured World/1houseatatime, and to Pat Rist, Owner/Operator of AtticDr.com, andWilliam Marshall with Austin Auditors. Each of these individuals donated their time and services by performing detailed walkthroughs of the Mary Lee Foundation buildings and noting opportunities to improve sustainability. William says, “Keller Williams RED Day brings together hundreds of people to help the Mary Lee Foundation. I wanted to be one of those hundreds of people helping out because Keller Williams’ RED Day is a truly worthy project helping out a remarkable organization in the middle of Austin.”
We’d also like to thank Whittlesey Landscape Supplies for providing four yards of crushed granite to beautify the courtyard and Office Max for donating their printing and laminating services to produce the recycling guides for the residents at Mary Lee Foundation. Budget/Avis Car Rental will also be instrumental in feeding our big team!
KWRI_Vendors_REDDay_2011

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