Nonprofits

Anderson Homes helps nonprofits serve through COVID-19

Third year of 'Giving Back Starts at Home' promotion gave a combined $7,500 to five San Benito nonprofits.
Michael Anderson and Leslie Schatz with Anderson Homes prepared checks from their 2020 Giving Back Starts at Home campaign. Photo courtesy of Anderson Homes.
Michael Anderson and Leslie Schatz with Anderson Homes prepared checks from their 2020 Giving Back Starts at Home campaign. Photo courtesy of Anderson Homes.
Students at Chamberlain's Youth Services enjoy the fresh air and try out kite flying. Photo courtesy of Chamberlain's.
Students at Chamberlain's Youth Services enjoy the fresh air and try out kite flying. Photo courtesy of Chamberlain's.
United Way runs the 211 program in San Benito County. It has seen huge demand by residents particularly with housing needs due to COVID-19. Photo courtesy of United Way.
United Way runs the 211 program in San Benito County. It has seen huge demand by residents particularly with housing needs due to COVID-19. Photo courtesy of United Way.
Community Foundation for San Benito County's Gary Byrne delivers more masks and cleaning supplies, keeping local nonprofits stocked as they help the public through this crisis. Photo by Leslie David.
Community Foundation for San Benito County's Gary Byrne delivers more masks and cleaning supplies, keeping local nonprofits stocked as they help the public through this crisis. Photo by Leslie David.
BenitoLink reporter John Chadwell takes photos of parklets built for outdoor dining in downtown Hollister. Photo by Leslie David.
BenitoLink reporter John Chadwell takes photos of parklets built for outdoor dining in downtown Hollister. Photo by Leslie David.

This article was written by BenitoLink Executive Director Leslie David.

Local nonprofits providing services to residents during COVID-19 benefitted from Anderson Homes‘ “Giving Back Starts at Home” promotion this year. The gifting program will ensure several nonprofits can do more in 2021 for those in need.

This is the third year for the promotion. Ashleigh Anderson with Anderson Homes said, “We are thankful that we were able to donate a combined $7,500 to five nonprofits in our area—BenitoLink, San Benito County Arts Council, United Way for San Benito County, Chamberlain’s Youth Services and the Community Foundation for San Benito County.”

Anderson made donations as home sales closed in Hollister’s Santana Ranch neighborhood. Anderson Homes, owned by the Anderson family, is a local home building company and is actively involved in community nonprofit support.

“BenitoLink appreciates Anderson Homes for their generous support and for sharing their success by boosting public service here in Hollister,” said Leslie David, BenitoLink executive director. “For us, these funds mean we can keep getting current and important COVID-19 information out to the public on a regular basis.”

Denise Cauthen Wright with Chamberlain’s Youth Services said, “These funds have allowed us to expand our capacity at our non-public school with a second classroom, allowed us to make sure the children in our care experience fun and educational activities, outings and more with the goal of helping each child increase their social skills and self-esteem, setting a course for healthy, happy and meaningful lives. Thank you Anderson Homes family for becoming part of the Chamberlain’s community of Heroes!”

“The Anderson Homes ‘Giving Back Starts at Home’ promotion is a wonderful opportunity for new San Benito County residents to learn about our local nonprofits and the important programs they provide,” said Vicki Fortino, executive director of United Way of San Benito County. “United Way of San Benito County is very grateful to Anderson Homes and the L/G Anderson Family for including us in this annual initiative. The proceeds raised are very important to the services that United Way supports, especially in our COVID-19 environment when the need has been so much greater. Not only will this funding help us support much needed services in SBC, it will also support our 2-1-1 helpline that continues to connect residents to the services that they need. We send a heartfelt thank you to Anderson Homes!”

Ashleigh Anderson shared some additional information about the promotion:

  • A homeowner could take part in a $500 donation if they went into contract by 12/15/2020, and closed (or were expected to close) between 11/1/2020 and 1/31/2021. Dates were extended this year to ensure there were enough homeowners to make sizeable donations to the nonprofits.
  • Through the same promotion, Anderson Homes donated a combined $6,500 to three nonprofits in Los Banos—the Los Banos Volunteer Firefighters, Police Activities League, and the Friends of the Los Banos Public Library.
  • Since its inception, the Giving Back Starts at Home promotion has donated $43,500 in total ($13,500 in Los Banos and $30,000 in the Hollister area).

“We hope this donation helped all these hard woking nonprofits end the year on a high note,” Anderson said.

The Community Foundation for San Benito County was the fourth nonprofit to take part in the promotion. The foundation has been central in its role assisting area nonprofits working to address critical community needs during this time.

“The end of the year giving by our community has been amazing, we have seen more new donors and more generous donations this year than any previous years. Our donors are supporting more nonprofits in the work they are doing. We are very grateful to all those individuals, local business, our service organization’s and family funds held at the foundation,” said CEO Gary Byrne.

 

Leslie David

Leslie David is a Bay Area independent reporter/producer and is a BenitoLink founding board member. She has produced for radio, television, newspaper and magazines in both California and Wyoming. She was with KRON-TV News in San Francisco as camera-woman, editor and field producer, where she won the Commonwealth Club's Thomas Storke Award with Linda Yee for their series on the Aids Epidemic. She started as a small market news reporter shooting her own 16mm film at KEYT-TV Santa Barbara. Leslie lives on a ranch with her family in San Benito County.