2017 Year in Review Part 3: HELPING AFTER HARVEY (Retreat at the Woodlands)
Greystar Giving
February 9, 2018
Retreat at the Woodlands, located in the Woodlands, Texas, is the kind of community where neighbors help one another carry in their groceries. It’s a place where people know one another by name and never hesitate to greet everyone with a friendly hello.
“It’s a tight knit community,” says Cori Graves, Community Manager. “ We really care. If you want to come in and just be an apartment number, Retreat isn’t going to be the community for you.”
The sense of community at Retreat at the Woodlands extends to those outside of the property lines, too. When Hurricane Harvey and the rains that came with it struck parts of Texas, the entire staff and the residents rallied together to help the family of one of the concierges.
Two homes, three elderly people, four adults, three middle school-aged boys, a baby, and three dogs lost everything. The 11 people and their pets had to be rescued by helicopter, the dogs riding in baskets, as the waters continued to rise.
The residents of Retreat didn’t hesitate one moment to help. The club house became a donation drop off for toiletries, clothes, bedding, kitchen tools, gift cards, and more. One resident wrote a check for $1,000. Another donated two bedrooms worth of furniture without blinking an eye.
The concierges made several trips between the Woodlands and Port Arthur, where the families lived, delivering goods and offering aid. The donations poured in for weeks, replacing everything the family had lost, from car seats for the baby to backpacks for the older children. Even the dogs were outfitted with leashes thanks to the caring hearts of the Retreat community.
This isn’t the first time people living at Retreat have rallied together to help others. In November of 2017, they sponsored a dog for adoption. One resident fostered the pup while the staff coordinated a photoshoot. The dog was successfully given a forever home.
“It isn’t just people we help as a community, but pets, as well,” Graves says.
A few years ago, a beloved staff member suffered a heart attack, putting him in the hospital for two weeks. The residents banded together, collecting $10,000 to help the man and his family while he was ill.
Of Graves’ 13 years working in apartment communities, she says there’s no place quite like Retreat. In fact, she says coordinating efforts to assist others is easy, because everyone is supportive and friendly; people are enthusiastic to help anyone.
There’s one family in Port Arthur, Texas, who would agree. They got back on their feet thanks to the generous contributions from Retreat at the Woodlands.
“It’s a tight knit community,” says Cori Graves, Community Manager. “ We really care. If you want to come in and just be an apartment number, Retreat isn’t going to be the community for you.”
The sense of community at Retreat at the Woodlands extends to those outside of the property lines, too. When Hurricane Harvey and the rains that came with it struck parts of Texas, the entire staff and the residents rallied together to help the family of one of the concierges.
Two homes, three elderly people, four adults, three middle school-aged boys, a baby, and three dogs lost everything. The 11 people and their pets had to be rescued by helicopter, the dogs riding in baskets, as the waters continued to rise.
The residents of Retreat didn’t hesitate one moment to help. The club house became a donation drop off for toiletries, clothes, bedding, kitchen tools, gift cards, and more. One resident wrote a check for $1,000. Another donated two bedrooms worth of furniture without blinking an eye.
The concierges made several trips between the Woodlands and Port Arthur, where the families lived, delivering goods and offering aid. The donations poured in for weeks, replacing everything the family had lost, from car seats for the baby to backpacks for the older children. Even the dogs were outfitted with leashes thanks to the caring hearts of the Retreat community.
This isn’t the first time people living at Retreat have rallied together to help others. In November of 2017, they sponsored a dog for adoption. One resident fostered the pup while the staff coordinated a photoshoot. The dog was successfully given a forever home.
“It isn’t just people we help as a community, but pets, as well,” Graves says.
A few years ago, a beloved staff member suffered a heart attack, putting him in the hospital for two weeks. The residents banded together, collecting $10,000 to help the man and his family while he was ill.
Of Graves’ 13 years working in apartment communities, she says there’s no place quite like Retreat. In fact, she says coordinating efforts to assist others is easy, because everyone is supportive and friendly; people are enthusiastic to help anyone.
There’s one family in Port Arthur, Texas, who would agree. They got back on their feet thanks to the generous contributions from Retreat at the Woodlands.
