York Supports Note in the Pocket

This month we collected new and gently used clothing to support Note In The Pocket whose mission – to clothe impoverished children and families with dignity and love – truly resonates with our group!

What we know about clothing insecurity is that when kids feel “out of place” or that they don’t fit in because of their clothing, they often lack the confidence to draw any attention to themselves – whether that’s raising their hand in class or making a new friend.

Thank you Note in the Pocket for all the work you do to clothe Wake (and now Durham) County school children in confidence!

York Attends BELIEVE Bash

Our Chief Financial Officer, Kris Bracy, has served on the Board of BELIEVE – Stroke Recovery Foundation since it was started in 2020. Her friends, Jennifer and Michael Erwin, established the foundation after Michael suffered a stroke. Their goal was to help others who have experienced strokes navigate the financial and emotional challenges of their journeys back to independence.

Kris is happy to serve on the Board because it is clear to her that the support the foundation provides makes a real and meaningful difference in the lives of stroke survivors and their families. She also knows firsthand how impactful it is to have support when dealing with a personal or family health crisis.

The BELIEVE Bash, which was the foundation’s first fundraiser, raised more than $117,000. There were approximately 200 people in attendance and York was a proud sponsor. Guests bid on silent auction items and enjoyed food from PoshNosh Catering.

StepUp Ministry Names George York Development Volunteer of the Year

Our President and CEO, George York, has been a supporter and volunteer with StepUp Ministry for several years. He serves as an active member of their development committee and joined their Board of Directors last year. StepUp Ministry graciously named George their Development Volunteer of the Year for all his hard work and efforts to support the organization.

StepUp Ministry is a non-profit organization that prepares people who are ready and willing to make positive changes in their lives in order to gain stability. Founded in 1988 by White Memorial Presbyterian Church, they consider themselves to be an interfaith community that helps individuals in Wake County transform their lives through employment and life skills training. Their vision is to be the premier resource in Wake County for people seeking to improve their lives and develop stable careers.

George is honored to receive this award and plans to continue his support for the organization. To discover ways you can make an impact on the community, visit StepUp Ministry’s website.

Q4 Employee Charitable Recognition

We are incredibly proud to support charitable work and donations to nonprofits made by our employees. Because of their efforts this quarter, the following organizations will receive additional contributions from York via our gift matching and employee grant programs:

• APS of Durham · OBO Virginia Davis, Association Manager

• Christmount Christian Academy · OBO Trey Farid, Accounting Specialist

• Durham Rescue Mission · OBO Virginia Davis, Association Manager

• Note In The Pocket · OBO Brooke Hanford, Marketing Manager

• Saving Grace Animals for Adoption · OBO Brooke Hanford, Marketing Manager

• SPCA of Wake County · OBO Lamont Farmer, Property Manager

• SPCA of Wake County · OBO Candi McDowell, Executive Assistant

• SPCA of Wake County · OBO Mary Thaxton, Association Manager

• Student U · OBO Gardenia Buendia, Senior Marketing Specialist / Broker

• TROSA · OBO Virginia Davis, Association Manager

• YMCA of the Triangle · OBO Tad Thornhill, Broker

A big thank-you to our York employees for all they do out in the community!

Raising Funds through Live Music

York is excited to once again sponsor Band Together!

In response to the tragedies of September 11, 2001, the founders of Band Together wanted to create a positive change and impact in the community. Since then, Band Together has used the power of live music to donate over $10 million to Triangle area nonprofit organizations. The organization began by raising funds to support international tragedies and now raises funds and awareness with a nonprofit partner each year. This year’s mission is to support housing accessibility in the Triangle.

To learn more about events happening near you or how to get involved, visit their website.

Q3 Employee Charitable Recognition

We are incredibly proud to support and promote charitable work and donations to nonprofits made by our employees. Because of their efforts, the following organizations will receive additional contributions from York:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County · OBO Lynne Worth, Property Manager

• Children’s Cancer Research Center · OBO Joe Sweet, General Manager of Bloomsbury Landscapes

• Note In The Pocket · OBO Brooke Hanford, Marketing Manager

• Note In The Pocket · OBO Robert Hoyt, Commercial Broker

• Pretty In Pink · OBO Lieutenant Tasha Wright, Security

A big thanks to our York employees for all they do out in the community!

Q2 Employee Charitable Recognition

York is wrapping up Q2 2022. We are incredibly proud to support charitable work and donations to nonprofits made by our employees. Because of their efforts, the following organizations will receive additional contributions from York:

• Wake County Boys & Girls Clubs · OBO Commercial Broker, James Troxler

• SPCA of Wake County · OBO Director of Property Management, Lamont Farmer

• TLC · OBO Marketing Manager, Brooke Hanford

• StepUp Ministry · OBO Property Manager, Patty Friedman

• Red Cross of Eastern NC · OBO Property Manager, Patty Friedman

Thanks to our York employees for all they do out in the community!

Shaw University Day of Giving

On Thursday, May 26th, please join us in making a gift during the 3rd annual Shaw University Day of Giving!

This event is about giving back and making an impact on current and future Shaw University students. All members of the Shaw community and Raleigh natives alike are asked to show their support and make a difference on this day.

A Message from our President & CEO, George York:

I am proud to say that I am representing Shaw University as Corporate Captain for their Day of Giving efforts. This is an opportunity to celebrate our community and show support for Shaw University, the first HBCU in North Carolina and among the oldest in the nation, located in the heart of downtown Raleigh.

Closing Q1 2022 with Charitable Recognition from York

York is wrapping up Q1 2022. We are incredibly proud to support and promote charitable work and donations to nonprofits made by our employees. Because of their efforts, the following organizations will receive additional contributions from York:

• Animal Protection Shelter of Durham · OBO Property Manager, Virginia Davis

• Durham Rescue Mission · OBO Property Manager, Virginia Davis

• Learning Together · OBO Marketing Manager, Brooke Hanford

• SPCA of Wake County · OBO Director of Property Management, Lamont Farmer

• Women’s Center of Wake County · OBO Commercial Broker, John Koonce

A big thanks to our York employees for all they do out in the community!

An Unexpected Moment in Giving Back

Marketing Manger, Brooke Hanford, recently attended Learning Together’s annual fundraiser  – the Rock, Paper, Scissors Showdown. Her family came in 3rd in the contest – not too shabby – but below is her real take-away from the evening.

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“There are times when I find myself groaning inside about something I committed to attend over the upcoming weekend. Call it selfish, tired from the week, or just plain lazy…occasionally it happens.

On any given Tuesday morning when I’m in “work mode” – fully caffeinated and ready to tackle the day’s challenges – a charitable event on Saturday evening is right up my alley. (YES – let’s do this thing!!!) But on Saturday morning while cleaning up from a family breakfast and thinking ahead about many loads of laundry, and/or floors that need to be mopped, and/or kitty litter that needs to be changed, and/or a dozen other things I could rattle off, that SAME charity event doesn’t sound quite as appealing. (UGH – what was I thinking?)

Mind you, my groaning is never actually audible. I have 2 tween-aged kids with eagle-hearing whom I regularly instruct NOT to “moan and groan” when I ask them to do something they don’t want to do. If you’re a parent to kids you know what I’m talking about. If you’re a parent to a cat, try calling them to cuddle in your lap when you’ve had a hard day. That empty, unfeeling gaze they cast your way before looking elsewhere and then walking away is basically the same thing you’d get from a tween who you’ve just offended by instructing them to make their bed and put some laundry away. I digress…

But here’s something interesting I’ve noticed…I don’t ever recall a time when I committed to a charitable event and came back from it with the same sulkiness. Instead I feel energized, hopeful…powerful in a way. And that little bit of good that I did while I was there – whether it was volunteering or making a donation – is amplified by all the other people who made the same choice and showed up. One person can do a little, but a group of people with a common cause can do SO much good!

This past weekend I was hit with just such an event. We had a busy Saturday ahead…several scheduled events fell on the same day. And even though my family was planning to attend this event together, and I had really been looking forward to it earlier in the week, I’d be lying if I said I was excited when 4:00 PM Saturday rolled around and it was time to head out.

Thirty minutes later we arrived at Big Boss Brewing Company. We were there to support an all-inclusive school called Learning Together through their annual Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament fundraiser. The event was both engaging and fun. We participated in silent auction bidding and purchased a ticket for the raffle item. We planned our family strategy for the bracket-style Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament. (Turns out the entire strategy was to buy our way back in through a donation to Learning Together if we lost in the first round of competition.) And we enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner. Despite all the fun my oldest kid must have asked me 3 times in the first hour when we would be able to go home. I sighed (on the inside, mind you) but smiled and reminded her we were there for a good cause and I didn’t know when we would go home.

And then after a while, as fundraisers tend to do, it turned serious. The auctioneer got our attention and a husband & wife came up to the microphone and began to speak about their experience with Learning Together. They spoke from the heart about their two sons, and as I felt the weight of their words it occurred to me to look at my kids. Instead of the sullen tweens anxious to leave, I saw two engaged and attentive children staring at the stage enraptured with what these people were saying. I’m sure they had never before heard adults speak like this – bearing their hearts to strangers, telling us their fears and challenges in a very real and unfiltered way. My youngest – a sensitive kid, like her Mom – had misty eyes when she looked back at me. After those few minutes of sharing were over my kids clapped and smiled. And not just the polite “I will clap because that’s what people are doing” clap. This was something they felt inside that had to make it out into the world. I will be forever grateful for that moment, when the community that I thought I had come to give back to, gave so much more to me.

For the record I was not asked again by either of the children when we would get to go home. Instead, when we offered to sneak out about 20 minutes before the end of the event because it was getting so late they both asked if we could stay. And we did.

NOTE: I would be remiss to overlook the generosity of my employer in this. My family and I were able to attend Learning Together’s Rock-Paper-Scissor’s tournament as part of a corporate sponsorship from York Properties. The York family has a long history of civic engagement and community support and I am honored to be a part of the company.”