Armed with wheelbarrows, paintbrushes, and power washers, a small army of Weidner employees descended on Solid Ground’s Sand Point Housing last month to make our apartment complex even brighter and more welcoming for adults and families seeking healing and stability after experiences with homelessness.

Like Solid Ground, Weidner understands the power of building community through housing, which is why it sets aside a full day every year to undertake large service projects in every community in the U.S. and Canada where it has apartment buildings. As part of this year’s Weidner Cares! program, the company marshalled more than 50 employees from its Kirkland headquarters to complete much-needed maintenance work and upgrades at Solid Ground’s main housing campus, home to more than 400 adults and children. 

The Weidner Cares! crew at Sand Point.

“It’s incredible how much the Weidner folks did in just one day,” says Dee Hillis, Solid Ground Residential Services Director. “These are not small things – this work helps Solid Ground create a safer, warmer community for residents while also allowing us to focus our resources on providing the very best services possible.” 

For about six hours, the Weidner crew fanned out across the Sand Point campus to spread fresh mulch, paint buildings inside and out, pressure wash sidewalks, install blinds, clean windows, and more. Everyone pitched in: Employees who normally spend their days working on Weidner’s marketing and accounts receivable teams instead worked side by side with company executives to spread mulch and repaint parking strips. 

“This is by far our team’s favorite day of the year,” says Anna Reichstein, Marketing Events Manager. “We absolutely love having the opportunity to give back, and this is an important day for us to build community within and outside of our organization.” 

Weidner volunteers repaint fire lane curb striping at Sand Point.

Weidner Cares! is just one way the company works to build community. At each of its properties, the company works to make its residents feel connected to their community through what they call Love Notes, which can include anything from summer BBQs and food truck events to giving kids popsicles on hot days or sending notes to residents on their birthdays.  

Anna says she’s already working on plans for engaging the residents of Weidner’s 47 Washington apartment communities in supply drives and other ways to support Solid Ground. 

Want to help support the Solid Ground community? Check out all of our Ways to Give. 

All photos by Clarissa Magdich.