Posts Tagged ‘Schools and Education’
Thursday, May 9th, 2013
Dr. Joel Kinnamon, President of College of the Desert; John Jaramillo, Dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Business at COD, and Bob Deville, co-owner of Windermere Real Estate Southern California discuss the new 2013 Windermere Scholarships at the College of the Desert’s Foundation Office.
Windermere Real Estate Southern California is firmly positioned as the area leader in residential resale and luxury home sales. But equally as impressive is their philosophy on giving back to the communities in which they serve.
As established members of the community, Windermere Agents and Staff keep an eye on the issues and concerns that impact the local economy, not only in terms of property values, but the educational and vocational pathways that lead to the viability of home ownership for residents and visitors alike. Their knowledge in this area recently helped identify a need to support local students in higher education programs at the community college level.
And from this need, Windermere Real Estate Southern California created their College of the Desert Student Scholarship fund through their Windermere California Foundation. For the 2013-2014 school year, four qualifying students benefit from these scholarships in three categories: Business, Economics and Real Estate Development. These scholarships pay for a portion of the students’ tuition and expenses, and allow students to focus on what’s important – their education.
Two scholarships in the amount of $2500 each will go to qualified students majoring in Business and Economics, and two $1000 scholarships will go to qualified students working toward a Real Estate Development certificate. These scholarships support full-time students taking 12 units or more with at least a 3.0 grade point average.
“Given the unprecedented state budget difficulties, now more than ever the contributions Windermere Real Estate Southern California has made are especially critical,” said Dr. Joel Kinnamon, superintendent and president of College of the Desert. “As much as we do for our students and community, we can do so much more with the financial help we receive from our COD Foundation through its dedicated supporters.”
Bob Deville, co-owner of Windermere Real Estate Southern California, said, “Windermere Real Estate is proud to support these new opportunities for the students of the College of the Desert’s Business, Economics and Real Estate Development programs. As the economy continues to improve, we felt that it was important as one of the Coachella Valley’s industry leaders to show our support and bolster local higher education.”
Since opening their first Coachella Valley office in 2001, Windermere Real Estate Southern California has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to local charities through the Windermere Foundation. Windermere agents and its employees support dozens of charities that benefit the community as a whole, whether that is through childhood and educational development or economic and social supports. And they continue to make a great impact on our community.
Tags: Bennion and Deville, Coachella Valley, Palm Desert, Schools and Education, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Awards, Charity, Press Release, Sponsorship | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
The students of Oasis Elementary School in Thermal have something to sing about, or rather with, thanks to the great work of Windermere Southern California agents Roger A. Sullivan and Camille Pfeifer.
Windermere’s La Quinta office has been involved with the Oasis Elementary School for several years. They have adopted three of the four 4th grade classes, plus the Special-Ed class. During planned visits each year, Windermere agents deliver much needed school work essentials at the start of each year; yuletide visits bring a soccer ball plus other gifts and goodies for each child, and a year-end visit in June augments the summer reading program. Each of these visits is overseen by La Quinta’s Managing Broker, Sandy Beakey, who shared, “Giving back to the community is what we do at Windermere. It is part of our philosophy – at the agent, office and brokerage level, including the great work of the Windermere Foundation.”
So when Camille Pfeifer recently emailed her fellow Windermere agents that her clients, Sam and Nancy Weiss, were willing to donate a beautiful Sohmer & Company Walnut baby grand piano, Roger Sullivan immediately jumped on the opportunity. Making numerous calls to local businesses, Roger’s end goal was to not only get the piano donated to the Oasis Elementary School in Thermal but to have it delivered in full glory – repaired, tuned and ready to play. 
Roger successfully enlisted the help of On Time Moving Services of Cathedral City and Steve Salmacia of A 440 Piano Works in Palm Desert, who stepped up with a great response time and plan of action. Oasis Principal Dora Flores was incredibly pleased by the generous donation and the additional time and care that was put into helping restore the piano to its full glory. Dora shared that the school’s cheerleaders were already working on a routine to include the new piano and that’s just the beginning.
Roger Sullivan seated with Dora Flores, Principal of Oasis Elementary School in Thermal
“My fellow agents have been extremely generous with their time and money. For me, just seeing the smiles our visits bring and hearing the thanks from the students for what we are able to provide them is a thousand-fold return on our efforts. It’s inspired me to stretch a little,” shared Roger, who has been a constant in the outreach efforts for the Thermal school.
Roger hopes that the restoration and donation of the piano is just a beginning to helping Oasis Elementary augment their musical resources. If you have a musical instrument that you would like to donate to the school program, contact Roger by email or phone, and he will make sure it’s put to good use.
Roger can be reached at (760) 610-3245 or by email at Roger@RogerASullivan.com.
Tags: Coachella Valley, Community Support, La Quinta, Neighborhood Involvement, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Charity | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
Paul Segal of the Windermere Rancho Mirage office located at 71-691 Highway 111
Windermere Real Estate welcomes Paul Segal to its Rancho Mirage office located at 71-691 Highway 111.
Segal, a graduate of the University of Oregon, brings to Windermere more than 25 years of real estate experience, with five years here in the Coachella Valley. Although his expertise extends to every facet of desert real estate, he specializes in high-end residential and commercial transactions. Providing exceptional service to his clients is second nature. “I come from a family of commercial real estate investors,” he says. “I enjoy the challenge and variations of each transaction, as well as the investment opportunities.” Segal has a low-key manner which appeals to his clients. They like his creative and proactive approach to getting a deal done, no matter how complex the transaction.
In addition to his multi-faceted real estate career, Segal and his wife are both active with Act for MS, an organization which works to assist Coachella Valley residents diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. For more information about Act for MS, go to www.actforms.org. Segal also serves on the board of Marywood-Palm Valley School.
Tags: Clubs and Organizations, Coachella Valley, Community Support, Rancho Mirage, Real Estate, Schools and Education, Windermere, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
From left to right, Rob Ballew, YMCA CEO; Windermere Managing Brokers Charlie White, Diana Weiss, Sandi Richardson, Sandy Beakey, Don Rossignol; YMCA Board President Joe Hayes
On Wednesday, November 17, 2010, Windermere Real Estate proudly presented a $5,000 Windermere Foundation contribution to The Family YMCA of the Desert. This YMCA located at 43930 San Pablo Avenue in Palm Desert is the desert’s sole location since the ‘Y’ on E. Mesquite in Palm Springs closed.
Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley has a long history of supporting the YMCA, with company-wide events dedicated to restoring and updating of the facility. “The YMCA organization has a long history of serving the youth in this country, and Windermere agents love being able to support this great organization,” says Bob Deville, Windermere Coachella Valley owner. “Families now more than ever rely upon the services made available by community organizations like the YMCA. This is one of the ways Windermere is able to give back.”
With every Windermere real estate transaction, a portion of the commission goes to the Windermere Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1989. Contributions from Windermere agents, combined with contributions from Windermere employees and public supporters, have allowed the Windermere Foundation to distribute over two million dollars annually in recent years to non-profit agencies dedicated to helping homeless and low-income families. Non-profits receiving Windermere Foundation dollars furnish emergency and transitional housing, help to subsidize costs for health care, employment counseling, placement and training, day care, scholarships, and much more.
Tags: Clubs and Organizations, Coachella Valley, Community Support, Neighborhood Involvement, School Supplies, Schools and Education, supplies, Windermere, Windermere Foundation, Windermere Real Estate, YMCA
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
Mary Pat Anderson of Windermere Real Estate with Oasis School 4th Grader
The real estate agents and managing broker of the Windermere La Quinta office adopted the fourth grade class of the Oasis Elementary School in Thermal, California, for the last three years in a row. The school is located 23 miles south of the Windermere La Quinta office.
“Oasis has a brand new school—thanks to the tenacity of its spirited principal, Elizabeth Ramirez—but that doesn’t alter the fact that the students are primarily the children of migrant workers and endure the concomitant obstacles—poverty, lack of stability, illiteracy. The average annual household income in the area is only $10,000,” says Windermere La Quinta Realtor® Mary MacGregor. “After three years of sponsoring classes, the kids at Oasis Elementary know that the 4th grade is special. Windermere agents visit throughout the school year, dispensing small gifts, leading craft projects and bearing Christmas bounty.”
La Quinta Realtor® Mary Pat Anderson spearheaded the program back in 2007 and enlisted the support of her fellow agents who eagerly embraced the opportunity to give back to the community in such a meaningful way. “The support the agents in our office have given this project is amazing,” says Anderson. “Most of these children have so little that the smallest token becomes a treasure to them. Their smiles and gratitude are the rewards that keep us coming back.”
“We raise money doing a variety of things during the year,” says Managing Broker Sandy Beakey. “To buy the supplies we save hundreds of dollars with coupons from local stores and redeem printer cartridges donated by individual agents, among other things.”
Last year agent Mary Beth Youngquist solicited hotel toiletries from Fantasy Springs Casino and each child was given a hefty bag of soaps and shampoos to take home. Every agent contributes in their own unique way. All of the agents bring back soaps when they travel, as well.
In the summer, the funds are used to set up a food bank for the school. “We buy rice, beans, canned chicken, canned tomatoes and large baggies so that the families can take home what they need for the summer to help feed their families,” says Beakey. Beakey also personally matches some of the funds donated by the agents throughout the year.
When the school year starts, the children receive back-to-school supplies. At Christmas a soccer ball and individually wrapped gifts are given to each of the 75 children. “For some of the children, these might be the only gifts they receive during the Christmas season,” notes Anderson. “Some students even take their presents home to give to their parents.”
“I’m always struck by how polite and well mannered the students are when we visit,” adds MacGregor. “According to Vice Principal Richard Timentel, inculcating teacher respect is the number-one goal. Timentel—himself a migrant worker’s son who attended the original Oasis grammar school—is a bona fide success story, matriculating at Notre Dame before returning to run his childhood school.”
The agents in the La Quinta offices can be contacted at the 47-250 Washington Street and 78065 Main Street Suite 100, La Quinta, Ca. 92253 or phone (760) 564-9685 or (760) 564-5841.
Tags: Community Support, La Quinta, Public Schools, school budget, School Supplies, Schools and Education, student, supplies
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Windermere agent Randy Wiemer has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.
According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.
The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.
You can reach Randy Wiemer at: www.GreatDesertHomes.com , or email: Randy@RandyWiemer.com , or by phone at (760) 333-7747.
Tags: Awards And Honors, Foreclosures, NAR, NAR National Assn. of Realtors, Palm Springs, Schools and Education, SFR, Short Sales
Posted in Agents | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Windermere’s annual Community Service Day was a huge success. Agents and staff from the La Quinta office donated school supplies to the Oasis School on Friday, November 13th.
Thank you to everyone who contributed. The La Quinta office is already collecting items to donate to Oasis School later this month.
Tags: Community Service Day, Community Support, Events, La Quinta, Public Schools, Real Estate, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Staff, teacher, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
The Windermere Palm Desert-Cook & Hovley office collected items to donate to Carter Elementary school in Palm Desert. Agents and staff were able to fulfill all items on the teachers’ wish lists, plus more!
Broker Emily DiSimone, along with agents Debbie Sander and Michele Mayer, brought the items to Carter Elementary on Friday, November 13th.
Tags: Community Service Day, Community Support, Events, Neighborhood Involvement, Palm Desert, Public Schools, Real Estate, school budget, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Staff, student, supplies, teacher, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
On Friday, November 13th, the Windermere Rancho Mirage office contributed their time and money to help the students and teachers of the Rancho Mirage Elementary school, as part of our annual company wide Community Service Day.
Thank you to all who participated in this year’s Community Service Day! Your generous donation of school supplies and/or money to purchase school supplies has been GREATLY appreciated by Windermere and the Rancho Mirage Elementary School. Thank you to Christina Cook and Marilyn Bauer for their special efforts on our behalf.
Tags: Community Service Day, Community Support, Neighborhood Involvement, Public Schools, Rancho Mirage, Real Estate, school budget, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Staff, student, supplies, teacher, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Charity | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
The Windermere Palm Desert-San Pablo Office collected money to purchase certificate paper for the Renaissance Department of the Palm Desert Charter Middle School. These are the students that prepare all the achievement award certificates for the entire school and they needed funds to purchase the paper.
The San Pablo office collected over $300.00 which is what was needed to make the purchase. On Friday, November 13th, they presented the class with the supplies. Joe Tucker, Counselor for the school was also on hand to receive the donations.
Tags: Community Service Day, Community Support, Events, Neighborhood Involvement, Palm Desert, Public Schools, Real Estate, school budget, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Staff, student, supplies, teacher, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
On Friday, November 13th, our two Windermere offices in Indian Wells donated school supplies to Gerald Ford Elementary School, as part of our annual company wide Community Service Day.
A thank you is extended to everyone who contributed school supplies for the students at Gerald Ford Elementary School; with a special thanks to our team leaders Kerry Anderson and Pamela Stone. They delivered two huge bins of supplies to an extremely happy school principal.
Tags: Community Service Day, Community Support, Events, Indian Wells, Neighborhood Involvement, Public Schools, Real Estate, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Staff, student, supplies, teacher, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
A BIG Thank you from students at Raymond Cree Middle School
Our two Windermere offices of Palm Springs have contributed their time and money to help the students and teachers of Raymond Cree Middle School, as part of our annual company wide Community Service Day. With services and supplies being cut back over the last two years, teachers are forced to spend their paychecks to teach our children.
On Monday, November 16th, agents and staff presented a $1500 Visa Gift card and numerous school supplies such as the traditional paper, markers, rulers, gardening tools, and a podium for their speech class. “It is the non-traditional supply items that are needed that are not afforded in the school budgets,” says Windermere Office Manager, Frances Chafe.
Tags: Community Service Day, Community Support, Events, Neighborhood Involvement, Palm Springs, Palm Springs Central, Palm Springs Middle Schools, Palm Springs Public School, Palm Springs South, Public Schools, Raymond Cree Middle School, Real Estate, school budget, School Supplies, Schools and Education, Staff, student, supplies, teacher, Windermere Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
One day each year Windermere Real Estate’s agents, owners and staff volunteer at improvement projects in their local communities. This year’s Community Service Day will be held November 13th.
Windermere Coachella Valley will be donating much needed school supplies to local public schools. Each Windermere office is sponsoring a school serving their community and asked for a “wish list” from them.
“Our agents put their heads together to determine what worthy project we could do this year and the need for school supplies kept popping up at the top of the list,” says Windermere owner Bob Deville. “With services and supplies being cut back over the last two years, some of those suffering the most have been our children. Windermere feels strongly about starting from the bottom and working up. Our children and their education today are clearly our future.”
The schools receiving donated supplies are Rancho Mirage Elementary, Palm Desert Charter Middle School, Carter Elementary in Palm Desert, Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs, Gerald Ford Elementary in Indian Wells and Oasis School of the Desert in Indio.
The photo above was taken at the Oasis School of the Desert in Indio. The La Quinta office is actively involved with the school throughout the year.
Tags: Community Service Day, Events, Indio, La Quinta, Oasis School, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Public Schools, Rancho Mirage, School Supplies, Schools and Education
Posted in Agents, Charity | No Comments »
