Raza Properties enters the homestretch of our #GiveBackBuildUp efforts today.  The fourth week brings us to a focus on the city of Philadelphia as a whole.  

The first three weeks of #GiveBackBuildUp have been an incredible experience to tune into the individuals, organizations, and neighborhoods around us in a special way this holiday season.  While our goal is to always stay mindful of the needs in Philadelphia and find opportunities to extend ourselves beyond real estate, this has been an especially meaningful experience.  From recognizing a Raza Properties’ resident with a local gift of appreciation, sponsoring English books for adult ESOL students at Aquinas Center, a community clean up on Ingersoll St., to using our voice to call attention to these topics, the journey to this final week has been refreshing and humbling to say the least.

The fourth and final week of #GiveBackBuildUp involves combining efforts with a few fantastic organizations that we work with throughout the year.  Raza Properties extended the invitation to participate in a donation drive for Bethesda Project and to no surprise these organizations eagerly accepted and got onboard to #GiveBackBuildUp with us.  

So in the weeks following Thanksgiving, Philadelphia Magazine, ReMax @ Home and Orphanides & Toner as well as the Raza Properties team have been collecting non-perishable food and other items such as fleece blankets, gloves, socks, underwear, soap, razors, and deodorant for a drive that will support Bethesda Project of Philadelphia.

We chose Bethesda Project because their mission“to find and care for the abandoned poor and to be family with those who have none” stands strong and aligns with Raza Properties’ ideals, values, and goals for Philadelphia.  

The early days of Bethesda Project began by serving women in Philadelphia experiences homelessness.  In addition to shelter, they offered Philadelphia women companionship and prayer to cope with things such as mental illness.  From those rich roots they began to grow, purchasing additional homes, expanding services to include single men, collaborating with other organizations, establishing themselves as a non-profit, and offering case management.  Today they are proud to have over 13 homes throughout Philadelphia and they serve over, “2,000 homeless and formerly homeless men and women each year.”  

While we don’t claim to possess the same level of commitment to the homeless and those most in need, we can say the work of Bethesda Project resonates with us deeply, it makes us proud to share the same city, to work on making housing more and more accessible.  One way we feel we are similar is that we both see needs and opportunities and set about to bring that to life in a way that would leave a positive mark on Philadelphia.

There are numerous ways you can support Bethesda Project and Raza Properties invites you to learn more about their efforts in Philadelphia and possible opportunities to contribute your time or other resources.  Thank you to our friends at Philadelphia Magazine, ReMax @ Home, and Orphanides & Toner who chose to generously participate and #GiveBackBuildUp along with us! We are proud to work with organizations comprised of qualified professionals as well as quality people.