COMMUNITY SERVICE: Company donates time and effort

Windermere Prestige Properties helps Shade Tree

While real estate agents make their livings selling homes, one company new to Southern Nevada also works to serve those who can't afford a roof over their heads.

About 30 employees of Windermere Prestige Properties stepped away from their computers and cell phones Oct. 22 and picked up paintbrushes at The Shade Tree, a North Las Vegas shelter for women and children.

The group spent the day spread out throughout the three-story shelter, painting walls and parking lot fixtures, constructing chairs and designing a special mural in one children's playroom.

Robyn Yates, one of four owners of the two Southern Nevada offices, said this was the first official opportunity local employees had to give back to others since the company expanded to the Las Vegas Valley at the beginning of the year.

"While we're selling houses to people, a lot of people come here to Shade Tree and they have no home," she said. "It's basically homeless people, so it just kind of fits in with what we do for a living."

The event was part of Windermere Real Estate's annual Community Service Day, which is celebrated in more than 225 Windermere offices throughout the Western United States and British Columbia. Created in 1984, the event allows employees to donate their time to their communities. Offices throughout the southwest held their service day Oct. 22.

About 55 agents work at the two Southern Nevada offices, located at 2200 Paseo Verde Parkway in Henderson and 7251 W. Lake Mead Blvd. in Las Vegas.

Throughout the year, the majority of Windermere employees donate part of every sale to the Windermere Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization that assists housing-oriented causes.

But Yates, paintbrush in hand, said donating time is just as important as money.

"Time is our most precious commodity," she said. "It's really easy to write a check, but it takes more effort to give your time."

About 10 agents spent the morning painting railings and parking spaces outside, while another group on the second floor armed with rollers and brushes freshened up a large common room and added new chairs.

A group of especially creative employees worked to transform a third-floor children's playroom into an inviting garden-like atmosphere.

Dody Furst, a realtor at the Henderson office and an artist in her spare time, worked to paint grass, blue sky and a picket fence around the entrance to the playroom to give children the feeling they're about to enter a garden. Inside the room, agents painted a large tree on one wall, while others created cartoon characters in the grass surrounding the tree.

Furst said when she heard about the project, she wanted to get involved immediately.

"It's really inspiring to go about doing something to create happiness for others," she said.

Blanca McGuire, an agent at the Summerlin office, co-organized the day.

"Being an agent, I love my job, but driving around sometimes I see people on the streets," she said. "It's not always easy for someone to go home at night."

McGuire said in addition to the restorations, local Windermere agents also pooled together about $700, which the owners matched, resulting in a $1,400 donation to Shade Tree.

Heather Ramirez, associate director of development at Shade Tree, said because the shelter is nonprofit, officials really appreciate all the help they can get. She said the organization works to find a place for everyone who comes seeking help, including many children, so items such as paint are not at the top of the priority list.

"Windermere did approach us wanting to help," she said. "We were very grateful because we only have one maintenance person who normally does this job."


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