St. Louis’ NextGen Chapter Warms Soles

We understand the challenges that we all are facing during these troubling times. The ongoing pandemic has hit all of us in some way. It has especially impacted the homeless and those charitable organizations that provide much needed services.

 The St. Louis Apartment Association’s (SLAA) NextGen Chapter decided to step up and find a way to help those in need. The group wanted to “Warm Their Soles.” So, it held a “sock drive” in November as the St. Louis region entered its winter season. 

The NextGen effort collected more than 1500 pairs of socks. These went to three homeless shelters throughout the region. The collective sock drive was spearheaded by more than 10 apartment communities and 8 suppliers to the multifamily industry. 

“Our committee realized that so many of us take a simple pair of socks for granted,” says Taylor Winkler, chairman of SLAA’s NextGen Chapter. “We knew that those less fortunate would find great comfort in a warm pair of socks especially as winter sets in throughout the St. Louis area.”

Supporting the shelters comes at a critical time, notes Katie Roberts, SLAA president. “The ongoing pandemic has dramatically impacted our region in so many ways. The demand for services from charitable organizations has increased while their donations have decreased. We wanted to do something to bridge the gap and help warm the soles of the hundreds of people served by our region’s shelters.” 

To ensure the industry’s future, SLAA launched its NextGen Chapter to encourage the next generation in the apartment industry. It supports and encourages networking, leadership, education, and mentoring opportunities to further develop tomorrow’s leaders in the multifamily industry.

SLAA and NextGen thank all those companies that supported this effort. We not only brought some holiday cheer to many people looking for help, we also were able to Warm Their Soles.