Cresa Cares 2019 Impact Week

We're thankful for the communities that support us and gladly volunteer our time to support them. To show this appreciation, Cresa created Cresa Cares, a charitable organization, to raise funds nationally through a wide variety of events and sponsorships. With over 5,000 hours of volunteer time and over $1,000,000 donated to date, our nonprofit group has proudly supported over 100 charities.

This year, Cresa Cares announced its inaugural Impact Week during which time Cresa offices participated in numerous volunteer activities. From packing food to simply spending time with those in need, we highlight the ways our Cresa team has given back to our various communities.

Our New York office kicked off Impact Week by spending time at The Salvation Army’s soup kitchen on 14th Street where the group prepared and served food to community members. The office also volunteered at the Covenant House New York, the City’s largest service provider for homeless youth, and Urban Resources Institute New York City, a safe haven for domestic abuse victims and their pets, to give back to their community.

Cresa’s Dallas office and the Dallas branch of our Lease Administration team volunteered their afternoon at the Austin Street Center. The Austin Street Center is a homeless shelter that supplies meals, a safe place to sleep, clothing, toiletries and services to help those in need to get back into housing. The team sorted donations, put together toiletry bags and filled bags with clothes, hats, gloves and socks.

Cresa’s Denver office and Workspace, Planning, Design & Support team spent a day of service at The Gathering Place. TGP is a shelter that serves women, transgender individuals and their children who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. The Cresa team spent their time preparing and serving meals to the shelter’s members.

Our Houston office volunteered at the Brookwood Community, an organization that helps, educates, and creates meaningful jobs for adults with disabilities. With the help of Brookwood residents, the group made ceramics to be sold in the Community’s gift shop.

Members from our Orlando office spent time volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Center Florida. Second Harvest is a private, nonprofit organization that collects, stores and distributes donated food to more than 550 feeding partners in six Central Florida counties.

Advisors and members of our Los Angeles Downtown office lent their helping hands to the Hope Gardens Family Center, a shelter helping women transition from homelessness to independence through long-term rehabilitation, social and spiritual services. The Cresa team assisted by cleaning and preparing two apartments for two families to move in to, setting up for a fair, cleaning the kitchen, unloading food deliveries and preparing food for Hope Garden residents.

The Chicago office volunteered their time at Cradles to Crayons. The organization collects children’s items donated by the community. Volunteers then process and package the donations at The Giving Factory, the CTC warehouse, and from there, packages are distributed to local disadvantaged children through the charity’s collaborative network.

In advance of Cresa’s Impact Week, Ralph Benzakein, SIOR of the Long Island office traveled to the Pacific Northwest roads and undertook a 210 mile cycling journey from Seattle, WA to Portland, OR. His efforts benefited The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the ride raised over $7,700 for the charity.

This year, our San Diego office donated to the San Diego Blood Bank at their annual Blood Drive. The team also collaborated with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.

In an effort to show continued support to its community, the D.C. office has partnered with the Manna Food Center and Bayard Rustin Elementary School for their 2019/2020 Smart Sacks Program. The Smart Sacks Program bridges the gap between Friday and Monday, providing food to students eligible for reduced/free lunch and their families who may not have another meal until after the weekend. The Program operates in 59 elementary schools and feeds over 2,850 children each week; more than 50 business and community organizations collaborate on behalf of this inspiring program.

Our Philadelphia office also volunteered at their local Manna branch. The team worked to package food to be sent to individuals across the city who are living with serious illnesses.

Our Phoenix team spent their time at the Ryan House, an organization that provides respite and end-of-life care to children with terminal illnesses. They helped organize toys for the House's annual toy drive and update their inventory of medical and other items they have in storage rooms.

Members of our Lease Administration team in Chicago arrived at their office bright and early to each abstract a lease. The money each advisor would have earned for this task was then matched by the service line and donated to Cresa Cares. In total, the group was able to raise $2,000.

At Cresa, our core values are rooted in “doing the right thing” by each other and our communities. We’re grateful to partner with businesses and organizations that support this philosophy and strive to give back to all to show our continued dedication to charitable causes.