{"id":19281,"date":"2018-01-22T05:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T13:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=19281"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:30:43","slug":"shaping-futures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/shaping-futures\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaping Futures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yardi<\/a> client USA Properties teamed up with Life Steps in 1996 to create the J.B. Brown Fund, a philanthropic partnership\"\" to help residents of affordable housing fulfill their academic potential, participate in sports, and overcome financial hardships.<\/p>\n

The Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n

Geoffrey C. Brown, president and CEO of USA Properties Fund Inc., co-created J.B. Brown fund in honor of his father. His father established the company\u2019s mission back in 1981. The fund is an extension of that mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s important to me is our tagline as a company: Creating Outstanding Communities,\u2019\u201d says Brown. \u201cTo me, an outstanding community isn\u2019t just a pretty project with sticks and bricks. A nice community also includes the social services that we provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social services at USA Properties begin with LifeSteps, a resource provider offering skills training and educational programs that empower residents.<\/p>\n

Services are extended through the J.B. Brown fund. The athletic opportunities offered through the fund are close to Brown\u2019s heart. He participated in youth sports as a child and coached his children in youth sports for several years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lessons learned in youth sports are invaluable,\u201d begins Brown. \u201cYou learn teamwork, discipline, and competition but most importantly, you learn how to lose. You learn that you can\u2019t be afraid to fail. That might be the most valuable of all lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n

The crown jewels of the J.B. Brown Fund are the academic scholarships, awarded to residents that strive to attend institutions of higher learning. To date, the J.B. Brown Fund has been able to fund every qualified applicant.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to create a mindset where people don\u2019t think that because they grew up in affordable housing community that they can\u2019t go to college,\u201d explains Brown. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a number of successful people who have gone through the whole program. As freshmen, they were recipients, and they were able to be recipients ever year until they\u2019ve graduated.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Recipients<\/strong><\/p>\n

No two scholarship recipients are the same, yet each recipient represents a cross-section of the American dream. From the local family striving to rebuilding after economic loss to refugees fleeing war, each student dreams of a better future.<\/p>\n

Victoria Solis was the student that most teachers dream to teach: helpful in the classroom, sociable, and active in extra curricular activities and volunteerism. A long commute, however, made it difficult to Solis to get to her classes.<\/p>\n

Solis explains, \u201cI missed school about two to three times a month because of troubles with my commute, but I never let it stop me from doing good in my classes. Taking the bus, my school was about 25 minutes away because the bus stop is far from campus and walking it was about 45 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

To complicate matters, Solis was often in and out of hospitals. \u201cI was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy which is a neuromuscular disease. This disease means I will progressively get worse and lose strength with time. I have been going to many specialists and doctors\u2019 appointment my whole life and as of now, there is no cure. Because of this, I am bound to a wheelchair.\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of the challenges, Solis knew that she wanted to get her high school diploma and continue on to college. With medical bills and other responsibilities on their plates, Solis did not want to further strain her parent\u2019s finances. She sought scholarships to independently fund her college education.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinancially, I needed an extra push,\u201d says Solis. \u201cI knew I could not afford books and I didn’t want to rely on my parents for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The apartment manager at her affordable housing community recommended that Solis apply for the J.B. Brown Fund scholarship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis scholarship has helped me to push myself when it comes to grades and keeping up with my classes. It has also helped me not stress so much about having to pay for books and other fees in college and allowed me to stay focused on my studies,\u201d says Solis.<\/p>\n

On a personal level, the scholarship has helped Solis explore self-sufficiency and solidify her visions for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI no longer have to rely on my parents as much financially,\u201d she observes. \u201cI am the first person in my family to earn an advanced degree. I am the youngest of five and no one in my family has ever attended college or even high school. This was also a reason I was motivated to continue my education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Solis\u2019s future is dedicated towards helping others. \u201cI would like to work in hospitals with children and help them with their recovery. I spent most of my life in and out of hospitals and I would like to help out those who are in similar situations as me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The J.B.Brown Fund continues to promote brighter futures for America\u2019s children and seniors. To support the organization in its mission,\u00a0make a contribution<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yardi client USA Properties teamed up with Life Steps in 1996 to create the J.B. Brown Fund, a philanthropic partnership to help residents of affordable housing fulfill their academic potential, participate in sports, and overcome financial hardships. The Fund Geoffrey C. Brown, president and CEO of USA Properties Fund Inc., co-created J.B. Brown fund in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":440,"featured_media":19282,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3236,5,3354],"tags":[26,2196,2231,2232,165],"class_list":["post-19281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-affordable-housing","category-people","category-team-yardi","tag-affordable-housing","tag-corporate-social-responsibility","tag-j-b-brown","tag-scholarship","tag-yardi-client"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Yardi client USA Properties teamed up with Life Steps in 1996 to create the J.B. 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