Supporting the Caregivers through David's Refuge

We are going to be donating an amount equal to 12% of all our commissions from buyers and sellers who do a transaction with us in April.

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Our team is not only dedicated to our clients, we’re also dedicated to our community and we are always looking for ways to improve it and the lives of those who share it with us.

This is why we are here today with Kate Houck of David’s Refuge. This nonprofit is all about caring for the caregivers. They are able to serve parents who have a child with special needs or a life-threatening illness with their support. They send the families on beautiful two-night getaways in order to refresh them, show appreciation for them, and remind them they are not alone.

We couldn’t be more happy to support David’s Refuge

We couldn’t be more happy to participate in a worthwhile cause like this. In the month of April, we are donating an amount equal to 12% of our commissions to David’s Refuge. The more people we are able to help buy and sell homes, the more families we’ll be able to help. We are aiming to help 60 different families in the next year with the help of David’s Refuge. To learn more about David’s Refuge, visit their website here. If you have any other questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Don’t Miss Our Make-A-Wish Movie Event

Join us on December 29th to watch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. All of our friends and clients who make $25 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation may attend.

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This year, we will be at the Shoppingtown Theater on December 29th for a special viewing of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. 

If you make a $25 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, you will get a ticket to Rogue One, a popcorn, and a small soda or water. This is a great Hanukkah or Christmas present for the whole family to enjoy. Not only that, you’ll also make wishes come true for kids with life-threatening conditions. 

Help ill children by donating to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

So join us on December 29th at 3:50 p.m. to watch Rogue One. Just call 315-475-WISH to reserve your tickets. That’s 315-475-9474. 

As always, give us a call if you need anything. We would be happy to help you. We look forward to seeing you there!

Learning More About Life at OCC With Casey Crabill

Onondaga Community College helps high school students both save tuition costs and get a head start on their academic life by offering their courses to them while they’re still in high school.

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Welcome to part II of my interview with Casey Crabill, the President of Onondaga Community College. Today we’re continuing our discussion about the on-campus experience of OCC and the unique way in which they help high school juniors and seniors transition into a higher learning institution.

OCC has a ‘College Credit Now’ agreement with most of the surrounding high schools in the district, which includes OCC courses that are offered in a variety of ways to high school students during the day. These courses are based on the same academic outline at OCC, meaning the same tests, the same texts, and the same assignments. Students have the choice of taking these classes on campus at OCC or at their own high school.

Students who are interested tend to work with their guidance counselors and then spend part of their day at OCC for a specific purpose or to get a head start. According to Casey, they often see a lot of high schools students in the summer who are trying to explore a new field. OCC’s courses at the high schools are offered at no charge to the students during their school year.

OCC has the ability to tailor the experience to each individual student.

Some high schools students have taken their whole senior year through OCC and then transferred to a university instead of undergoing the regular application process. As Casey states, “Because we have the ability to tailor the opportunity to the individual student, we can really work one-on-one with families, parents, and guidance counselors to make sure they’re taking the right path.”

From a financial point of view, students can enroll at OCC for $4,200 a year. This means that for less than $10,000, they can get two years of education and matriculate into another school and save two years of tuition costs. Casey has noticed more and more families taking advantage of this opportunity in a combination of ways. Research shows that high school students who enroll in OCC and then transfer to another institution are just as prepared and do just as well as students who started at those other institutions.

For any student concerned that this option might cause them to miss out on the college freshman experience, Casey assures them that this isn’t the case. OCC has learning communities in their residence halls and first-year programs for students.

“We really work hard to make sure that students who have an idea that they want a certain kind of college experience can have that here,” Casey says.

To supplement that fact, she notes that nearly 40% of the students in their residence halls live within 25 miles of campus. This means that they could be commuters, but they choose to have the full OCC experience.

I want to give a very special thanks to Casey for joining us for this interview. If you have any questions for her, you can reach her by phone at (315) 498-2214.

If you have any other questions for me, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!