REEP Equity’s Houston Communities Are Backing the YMCA’s Operation Backpack Drive
Highlights
- REEP Equity’s Houston properties are participating in the Houston Apartment Association’s partnership with the YMCA’s Operation Backpack Drive, running now through July 31.
- The drive collects new backpacks for elementary and middle school aged children across the Greater Houston area who need one before the school year starts.
- Backpacks should be at least 16.5 inches, and any color is welcome, though black and clear styles are the most requested.
- Donations can be dropped off at HAA offices or purchased directly through an Amazon wishlist for delivery straight to HAA.
- Residents at participating REEP communities who donate a backpack receive a thank you gift, and property teams can sign up to run a resident facing collection drive of their own.
Why This Drive, and Why Now
Every August, thousands of families across Houston face the same seasonal expense at the same time: new backpacks, school supplies, and everything else that comes with a new school year. For a lot of families, that cost lands at an already tight moment. The YMCA’s Operation Backpack Drive exists to close that gap, and this year the Houston Apartment Association has partnered directly with the YMCA to collect donations from apartment communities across the city.
REEP Equity’s Houston portfolio is part of that effort. Our in-house management company, REEP Residential, is helping coordinate participation at our Houston communities, giving residents an easy way to support kids in their own neighborhoods before the drive wraps up on July 31.
What the Drive Is Collecting
The ask is simple and specific. Operation Backpack needs new backpacks sized for elementary and middle school students, at least 16.5 inches, in any color. Black and clear backpacks are the most requested styles this year, so those donations tend to go the furthest, but any new backpack that meets the size requirement helps.
Three Ways to Get Involved
Drop off a donation directly. Backpacks can be delivered in person to HAA offices at any point before July 31.
Buy directly from the wishlist. For anyone who would rather shop online than shop in person, the YMCA’s Operation Backpack has an Amazon wishlist set up for exactly this purpose. A single backpack or a full bundle can be purchased there and shipped straight to HAA, no extra trip required.
Sign up your property to run a collection. Apartment communities across Houston, including REEP’s, can register to host their own resident facing backpack drive. Click here to sign up a property and turn a single community into a collection point for dozens of donations at once. Residents who donate through a participating property receive a thank you gift for taking part.
Why REEP Gets Involved in Efforts Like This
REEP Equity has always believed a multifamily community is more than a collection of leases. Our residents live in these neighborhoods, send their kids to the local schools, and feel the same seasonal pressures every other family in Houston feels. When our in-house management team runs the day to day operations of a property, that same team is positioned to notice where a small, coordinated effort, like a backpack drive, can make a real difference for the people living there.
Participating in Operation Backpack is a small piece of a larger commitment REEP makes to the communities it owns and manages: not just improving the physical property, but paying attention to what the people living in it actually need.
Help Us Reach More Kids Before July 31
If you’re a resident at one of REEP’s Houston communities, a donation drop off, a quick Amazon order, or a stop at your leasing office is all it takes to help a local kid start the school year with a new backpack. If you manage a Houston property and want to get involved, the sign up link above takes just a few minutes.
Want to learn more about how REEP Equity supports the communities where we own and manage property? Explore our Houston portfolio or get in touch with our team.
