April 2017 E-Newsletter

Register for events and classes.
Update your profile information to include a photo, bio, and other marketing details.
Track event attendance.
View and pay company invoices (for company management users).
And more!

To create your new login, please complete the steps below.

If your company is already a member of a local affiliate:

Click "Join" in the top right corner of the home page.
Choose "Create An Account."
Agree to the terms and conditions.
Enter your email and select a password.

Note: You also have the option to log in via your Facebook or Google Account. This does not allow us to log in to your social networks!

If your company is ready to join a local affiliate:

We are excited to have you as a new member! If you are an employee of an apartment community, management company, or supplier company that is NOT currently a member, we invite you to join one of our 11 local affiliates across the state of Florida. Joining a local affiliate automatically includes membership in FAA and in the National Apartment Association (NAA). To get started:

Click "Join" in the top right corner.
Choose "Become a Member."
On the map, click on your local affiliate to join.

We hope you enjoy all that your new website has to offer! If you have questions or concerns, please call 407-960-2910 or email rona@faahq.org.

Celebrate APAC with Food, Wine, Fireworks

Kick off the 2017 FAA Annual Conference & Trade Show in style by attending Food, Wine, and Fireworks, an APAC Celebration at Epcot, sponsored in part by PPG Paints and RentPath. Tickets include private transportation to Epcot and an evening of drinks, desserts, and a breathtaking viewing spot for Disney's "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks spectacular.

The celebration begins at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, and benefits the advocacy efforts of FAA's Apartment Political Action Committee. You can purchase your ticket online now. Tickets may also be purchased with your full conference registration.

This event is expected to sell out well in advance of the conference. Tickets are $195 and are limited to 450 guests (approximately 250 tickets remain). Those purchasing ticket bundles will receive one free ticket for every 10 purchased. Please email Courtney@faahq.org with any questions.

View event flier.

SWFAA Chooses Charities for 2017 Giving Back

By Holli Noel, SWFAA Association Director

For 2017, we have established four focus charities, all of whom were present with special tables in the center of our March 31 Big League Trade Show Floor, where they received a ton of exposure and donations.

Wounded Veterans Relief Fund. This fund helps with transition for post 9/11 wounded veterans, including financial, jobs, housing, and moral support. We love this group! They will be the beneficiary of our May Golf Tournament.
Lee/Charlotte/Collier Homeless Coalitions.

a. Homeless Blessing Bags: At each SWFAA event, we are requesting donations of personal hygiene items— two specific items per event. Since the trade show, we have collected a couple hundred pounds of deodorants, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpastes, hand sanitizers, and other items. We are storing them and creating bags to personally distribute and also give to the coalitions who go out into the wooded areas to distribute.

b. Feeding the Homeless: On Easter weekend, we joined Come as You Are Ministries to serve Easter dinner to homeless in a local park. SWFAA members brought potluck dishes, Easter eggs filled with candy, and Blessing Bags. This organization meets every Saturday at the park, so we hope to continue this event quarterly.
Harry Chapin Food Bank. We have dates set to volunteer in July and September in both Fort Myers and Naples. We'll be organizing donations in their warehouses.
Cape Coral Animal Shelter. We are helping with fundraising for groundbreaking for this much needed no-kill shelter. Currently there is no animal shelter in this area. We'll be using 50/50 money from our Spring Fling Networking Mixer this month, as well as soliciting donations throughout the year.

In addition, SWFAA was able to step up to the plate in an emergency situation this month.

Fire at Bear Creek Apartments. Twelve families (47 individuals including children) were displaced April 10 because of a roof fire that destroyed a building a one of our member communities. We received a phone call from the regional manager within an hour of the fire, and we jumped into action! We immediately reached out to all of our members requesting vacancies and any special waivers that might be available to get these folks re-homed. We got a great response, however, because Bear Creek is a tax credit property, not all who volunteered were eligible. As of last week, eight of the 12 families were in transition to new homes.

We established two emergency donation stations at properties in Lee and Collier counties and spread the word via email and social media. By last Wednesday we had collected $1,400 in cash donations, which we used to purchase Walmart gift cards. By last Friday, we had collected another $1,200, and distributed $100 bills to each family, along with tons of donated food, clothing, and household items — including some from supplier members as far away as New Jersey — at an event at the property, with the Collier County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's office provided Easter baskets for the children affected. The event received media coverage,

In addition, we have requested furniture donations and asked properties to be on the lookout for any gently used furniture that may be abandoned from move-outs. We have secured complimentary garages at one Spectra Luxury Apartments (a new lease-up property) to store any furniture donations for the victims until they are rehoused.

Stand Out with an Enhanced Business Listing

A more robust and comprehensive supplier directory has replaced the old PSC Buyers Guide, which in many cases only included one company under a specific category. In the new digital directory, every supplier member will be offered a basic listing with contact information and will have the opportunity to purchase an enhanced listing for $250. The enhanced listing will include premium placement, a company description, contact information, a link to your website, and social media feeds.

The supplier directory is just one of the many new features on the recently launched FAA website. To get the most out of the website, you will need to create an account (see related article in this issue).

Check out the new FAA Supplier Directory, a valuable resource for apartment communities and management companies seeking products and services.

To stand out with an enhanced business listing in FAA's supplier directory, purchase yours today.

Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available for Annual Conference and Beyond

View the 2017 Sponsorship Opportunities and Exhibitor Prospectus.

Learn more about opportunities to extend your company's exposure throughout the year.

2017 Legislative Session Update Week 8April 28, 2017 2017 Legislative Session Update Week 7 April 21, 2017

April 2017 E-Newsletter

What's New in the FAA

What's New Nationally

Supplier Updates