AVE’s 4th Annual Holiday Spirit of Giving

For the 4th year in a row, AVE communities nationwide devoted the entire month of November to giving back to our communities through AVE Holiday Spirit of Giving— our annual signature charity campaign with the mission of spreading cheer to those who need it the most during the holiday season. 

Our communities organized food and toy drives to local nonprofits and hospitals of their choice, along with our decade-long partner, Move For Hunger, resulting in 3,775 meals provided and 45 total boxes filled to the brim with toys. Our communities in Greater Philadelphia, New Jersey, and for the first time ever, Phoenix also hosted festive Holiday Spirit of Giving charity events, gathering residents, team members, and partners alike to come together and celebrate giving back. 

Move For Hunger 

Each region teamed up with AVE’s long-standing partner, Move For Hunger, along with local hospitals and charities that they fundraised and collected donations for throughout November.  

Move For Hunger is a national non-profit organization that mobilizes transportation networks to deliver surplus food to communities in need. AVE has been lucky enough to partner with Adam Lowy, Founder and Executive Director of Move For Hunger, for the past 10 years.  

“AVE has been an incredible partner to Move For Hunger,” says Adam. “From Season of Giving Food Drives to unique projects that benefit our organization, they always go above and beyond to give back to food insecure communities. We couldn’t be more honored to have them as our partner.”  

AVE donated a total of 453 bags of canned food that went to local food pantries with the help of Move For Hunger.  

Greater Philadelphia Holiday Spirit of Giving 

Our Greater Philadelphia communities teamed up with St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in addition to Move For Hunger. Through the combined effort of AVE Malvern, AVE King of Prussia, AVE Blue Bell, Blue Bell Villas, and The Franklin Residences, AVE was able to collect a total of 15 boxes of toys for the children who were spending the holidays for treatment at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.  

The AVE team then filled up a U-Haul hand-delivered the toys to staff at the hospital. It brought our teams so much joy to donate these toys to the hospital and meet the local healthcare heroes, who then organize the toys at their Sorting Party. The hospital’s devoted staff delivers these toys to the children on Christmas morning, in an effort to bring holiday cheer to the hospital.  

“When we pull up in the U-Haul and we have the nurses and the families there, the joy on their faces is so rewarding and we are so honored to be part of the St. Christopher’s family and to help families in need during this special part of the year,” says Lea Anne Welsh, COO of Korman Communities and President of AVE.  

AVE King of Prussia transformed into a winter wonderland, hosting the Holiday Spirit of Giving Event where team members, partners, and residents were able to come together and give back to the local community. The Basket of Cheer Raffle raised nearly $4,000, all going directly to purchasing food for local pantries and toys for the children at St. Christopher’s Hospital.  

New Jersey Holiday Spirt of Giving 

Our New Jersey team, including AVE Florham Park, AVE Clifton, AVE Somerset, and AVE Union, partnered with CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties, who volunteers to ensure the safety and well-being of children placed in foster care and other out-of-home placements. The 14 boxes of toy donations that were collected throughout November were then dropped off to CASA by our teams.  

AVE Florham Park hosted the New Jersey Holiday Spirit of Giving Event, dazzling the property with toys, decorations, AVE ornaments and live music. The New Jersey teams also collected a generous 135 bags of canned food donations. 

Phoenix Holiday Spirit of Giving 

Our Phoenix portfolio made AVE history this year, hosting their first annual AVE Holiday Spirit of Giving Reception. AVE Phoenix Sky, AVE Phoenix Terra and AVE Paradise Valley collected 10 boxes of toy donations for Phoenix Children’s Hospital and had the opportunity to meet the wonderful hospital staff at the Toyland toy drop off. 

Residents, partners and our teams alike enjoyed a photobooth, music, and a Retail Therapy Holiday Market at the reception, while sipping on signature beverages and enjoying hors oeuvres. The holiday spirit was tangible at the event, so much so that the magical night glistened with faux snow.  

“AVE’s Holiday Spirit of Giving gives residents and team members the opportunity to do good and be part of their community,” said Brad Korman, co-CEO of Korman Communities. “Residents might be here for a couple months, or they could be here for years, either way they get to get involved and give back.”