Partnership Spotlight: Room & Board

Room & Board has been a friend and partner to CommonBond Communities since 2011. Not only has Room & Board supported CommonBond through in-kind and monetary donations and involvement in our annual Celebration of Home Gala, but they have participated in several volunteer projects throughout the years at a variety of our sites.

In early summer of this year, Room & Board staff volunteered at several CommonBond communities. The Brand Experience Team planted flowers at Boulevard Gardens and Crown Ridge, and the Warehouse Team also planted at Pleasant Place. Residents and CommonBond staff appreciated their efforts to beautify the grounds for the summer. Room & Board has been doing planting and other community events at these properties for many years.

Room & Board has also been heavily involved in volunteering at CommonBond communities Yorkdale Townhomes and Upper Post Veterans Community. They have hosted food drives, school supply drives, summer barbeques, movie nights, drop offs during COVID, and even supported site staff in revamping the youth program center at Yorkdale with updated furniture.

These long-term relationships that Room & Board volunteers have built with CommonBond staff over the years have only added to the value of their volunteer efforts. Room & Board volunteers are in communication with site staff about what kind of support is needed at the site, what would make the most impact, and what the residents would most enjoy. This sense of collaboration and trust makes for the most impactful volunteer project and supports the dedication and passions of the volunteers.

Taryn, Employer Brand Manager at Room & Board, says, “Our company’s philosophy is, ‘We want to help you.’ We don’t want to come at it from our own ideas. Instead, it’s very focused on how we can maximize our impact and make the most difference, doing the most good for organizations like CommonBond who are doing great work.” Room & Board volunteers are able to build on projects they’ve done in the past and look for ways to make more impact in the future.

This partnership has also been a great opportunity for Room & Board volunteers to make connections with residents. Residents know the volunteers well and are always excited to see them! Dianna, Partnership Marketing Manager at Room & Board, says “It was fun for our team to chat with the residents who were hanging out outside on the patio during the planting project. A lot of residents said that it looked beautiful, and some residents were happy to give us some little tips for what they would like to see around the building! I liked that they felt like they could be a part of what we were doing and that they were excited to weigh in.”

The Room & Board team is ecstatic to start up volunteer events again because, due to COVID, the volunteer projects had to hit pause for a time. Dianna says, “This was really exciting for us to get back into the fun and normal ways of participating in our communities that we had been doing pre-COVID. It was great to start planning the projects and to get back into it.” These volunteer events were certainly missed by site staff and residents as well, who have expressed a lot of gratitude for Room & Board’s investment in several CommonBond communities.

Taryn says, “As a company, we have three causes where we really want to make an impact: Sustainability, Equity and Justice, and Art and Design. When it comes to equity, we know that no one is really set up for success if they don’t have a roof over their head, a safe and stable home, food in their belly, and a good education.” CommonBond’s unique model of combining housing and services is something that Room & Board volunteers are especially passionate about. “It’s not just setting people up with a home, but supporting residents with achieving long-term success through different services. CommonBond does such a great job with that. We are really happy to be a partner.”

We appreciate Room & Board’s generosity and partnership with us over the years! If you or your company are interested in supporting our work by volunteering, please reach out at volunteer@commonbond.org to find out how you can get involved.