Nexus 5 Group has been part of the Apartment Association of Kansas City (AAKC) for over five years now. We chose to get involved for obvious reasons: we do construction and service work on apartments. Being a part of the AAKC would ultimately lead to additional work for our company, so joining was a no brainer.
When we first joined, it was me and one other coworker. We joined a committee and started attending their luncheons. We were overwhelmed and lost, but we kept going, and with each meeting we got more comfortable. I began making friends with other vendors and apartment property individuals. I joined multiple committees and participated in every event that I could attend.
Fast forward five years to 2021
I’d begun my second year on the Supplier Partner Board of Directors for the AAKC. Our entire company is now an “active member”, participating in most events and sponsoring multiple events each year (pre-COVID that is).
The more involved I became, the more I began to fall in love with the AAKC. Not because of the leads or work that came our way, but because of what AAKC does for our community here in the Kansas City area. AAKC’s mission, first and foremost, is to protect and inspire the multi-family industry through superior education, advocacy, and communication.
They want to be the eyes and ears for apartment owners and residents, ensuring that laws are fair and in the best interest of the residents and the owners. This is their passion, but it is not their only passion.
The AAKC is also involved in several nonprofits in the Kansas City area.
The AAKC brings together dozens of members to help support these organizations not only monetarily but through HUNDREDS of volunteer hours each year. Each organization has a committee of AAKC members that meet on a regular basis to plan events, on-site workdays, or other specific needs that organization has. Here is a quick snapshot of a few of the organizations.
Care Packages
· Packages are delivered to properties who experience a fire. Packages include misc. items like shampoo/conditioner, comb/brush, deodorant, soap, etc. This helps the victims of the fire by providing everything they need to go to a hotel, friend’s, or families’ home. The AAKC has delivered over 1,000 packages since the program started.
Operation Breakthrough (O.B.)
· Wine Baskets - AAKC members donate wine to the committee. The committee then puts together wine baskets for O.B.'s auction that they have every spring. This help provide O.B. with income to pay for daily operating expenses.
· Carnival - AAKC donates bounce houses, carnival items, etc. for their annual carnival. AAKC also provides dozens of volunteers to help with the children, games, face painting, set up and clean up.
· Christmas Warehouse - each year AAKC sponsors the Christmas warehouse, they have over 100 people who donate their time sorting presents for the families who are in need. AAKC committees also donate thousands of dollars’ worth of toys, clothing, etc. This event is AMAZING!
Synergy battered women’s shelter
· Each year there is a spring and a fall cleanup for the home, the AAKC has committee members who donate hours of help, cleaning out gutters, planting flowers, cleaning out flower beds, etc.
· During the year we also help with craft nights for the children and women of the home. Cookie decorating night, spa night for the ladies, fall pumpkin carving, Christmas wrapping nights, etc.
Noah Bandage Project
· AAKC sponsors the spring 5K walk, t-shirts with sponsors names, table at the event, etc.
· In the summertime the AAKC holds a bandage drive with a contest between the properties/supplier partners.
· Fall is their golf tournament which AAKC sponsors a hole at.
As you can tell there are plenty of opportunities the AAKC provides for its members and supplier partners to give back to the community. I personally have not been part of an organization that gives back and encourages its members to give back as much as the AAKC does. Once I got involved in these events and had firsthand experience with the impact that the AAKC has in these organizations, I knew I was part of something special.
That’s when I fell in love with the AAKC.
Happiness comes from helping others. We would love to know about the organization you support that is making a difference in the community!
To learn more about AAKC, visit their website.