Community Service
The heart of the association is in giving back to our community. Current volunteer opportunities are listed below.
Annual D.O.C. Drive
Raising Funds & Feeding Families in Central Texas
What started as a humble initiative back in 1986, spearheaded by volunteer Steve Cartelli with $600 in total donations, has blossomed into an extraordinary annual fundraising event that has raised over $1,000,000 since its inception 37 years ago. The impact of the drive has been nothing short of remarkable, with over 24,350 Thanksgiving Food Packs distributed to grateful Austin residents over the years. Additionally, food pantries in 10 counties surrounding Travis have received a total of $15,600 in vital financial contributions.
Blood Drives
The Austin Apartment Association partners with the Red Cross and We Are Blood with blood drives each year. AAA hosts Red Cross blood drives at the office a couple times throughout the year. Stay tuned for that next date! In the meantime, use the link below to find another local blood drive near you:
FIND A LOCAL RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
We Are Blood also is a provider and protector of the Central Texas blood supply. We Are Blood donations are prioritized based on local needs. This means it has the greatest potential to stay right here in our community. Search for We Are Blood donation opportunities here:
Can't Give Blood? Give a Donation!
You are able to choose where your generous gift goes within The Red Cross: blood services, where it is needed most, disaster relief, or your local Red Cross. Or, as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, We Are Blood accepts and depends on financial contributions to support a thriving local blood supply.
DONATE MONEY TO THE RED CROSS
Sound the Alarm
Home fires claim seven lives every day, but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half.
You can help change that by volunteering for the next American Red Cross Sound the Alarm event in the Spring! More event details will be posted here when they are available!
During this one-day event, volunteers rally to install 50,000 free smoke alarms nationwide and share safety information to help families in vulnerable areas prepare for, respond to, and recover from home fires.
No prior experience is necessary; Red Cross will provide all the training you’ll need.
To learn more about the Sound the Alarm campaign, visit the webpage.
Red Cross Disaster Response Team
AAA helps recruit multifamily industry professionals to be trained as a volunteer emergency response team for the Red Cross, one specifically utilized to call on to respond to emergencies at apartment communities in our area such as fires, floods, and other emergencies.
What is your obligation as a member of the Disaster Response Team?
One hour of online training is followed by two hours of classroom training conducted by the Red Cross. Once training is complete, your name will be added to a volunteer roster at the Red Cross of Central Texas. In the event of an emergency at a multi-family rental housing community, our team of trained volunteers will be contacted to help in response efforts. There is no obligation to help when called, but the hope is you will be trained and ready to go when help is needed most.
Past Volunteer Efforts
AISD Back to School Bash Backpack Stuffing
Outreach members helped the Austin Independent School District by stuffing backpacks at the Delco Center in preparation for their annual Back to School Bash. In 2018, this program provided 5,032 backpacks to Austin ISD students at Bash, Family Resource Centers, the International Welcome Center, and the Refugee Family Support Office. Families and students also received 115 haircuts, 120 haircut certificates, over 30 eye exams, 350 booster seats, 111 Child ID Kits, various health screenings, and dozens of door prizes—all free!
Ronald McDonald House
AAA outreach volunteers will meet periodically to cook and serve breakfast for families at Ronald McDonald House. The Central Texas Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a comforting “home-away-from-home” for families to stay so they can fight their child’s illness or injury together.
Brady's Bridge
2021 marked the 9th Annual Christmas Tree Drive for Brady's Bridge and AAA Outreach was there to help! AAA outreach volunteers helped Brady's Bridge by raising money to purchase and package Christmas trees and decorations for children spending the holidays in local hospitals. For more information about Brady's Bridge visit www.bradysbridge.org.