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The post Abilene First City in Texas to House All its Homeless Veterans appeared first on Weidner Apartment Homes Blog.
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Thanks to the efforts of several homeless assistance organizations and Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams, the city of Abilene is the first in Texas to find a way to house its homeless veteran population.For concerned Abilene citizens, the effort to secure housing for these often-overlooked citizens started with them gathering the data regarding how many homeless veterans existed in the area.
To get this information, John Meier, program director for The Supportive Services for Veteran Families program of the West Central Texas Regional Foundation, said his staff connected with Abilene case managers to identify and reach out to homeless veterans in the city. They also collaborated with food banks, police volunteers and more.
Once the data was compiled, they shared it with the mayor, whose staff worked with the group to create a system that would permanently house homeless veterans and continue to identify at-risk candidates.
According to The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, there are four benchmarks a community has to meet before it can officially declare an end to veteran homelessness:
- An end to chronic and long-term veteran homelessness
- Veterans’ quick access to permanent housing
- Sufficient permanent housing capacity
- Veterans’ access to transitional housing
Abilene has achieved all four benchmarks, and now dozens of community leaders and politicians throughout the country are trying to replicate a similar solution in their own areas.
According to Mayor Williams, he wants to keep the momentum up and has plans to announce a future initiative that will tackle Abilene’s entire homeless population.
The staff at Summer Winds congratulates the City of Abilene for its tremendous efforts on behalf of our homeless vets. We make sure we show our appreciation to US service members by offering a military discount as a way of saying thanks for serving and protecting our nation. If you’re looking for an affordable, thoughtfully designed and family-friendly apartment in Abilene, TX that offers desirable amenities, outstanding community features and a prime location, contact us today at Summer Wind Apartment Homes. We’re here to schedule your personal tour at your convenience and help you discover your amazing new home.
Is it important to provide military discounts and help homeless US veterans find permanent housing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and with readers at #LifeatWeidner
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]]>The post Living in Abilene, Surrounded by Love and Fun appeared first on Weidner Apartment Homes Blog.
]]>Dawkins is a fan of author Peter Kageyama’s “For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places”, particularly his ideas concerning creating Love Notes which are “small, hyper-local and fun interventions” for the health and progress of a community. She wanted to find ways to adopt the concept of creating Love Notes for the residents in her apartment community to foster a sense of pride and belonging in the people who live there, and so far, she’s been amazed at the results.
“It’s a small community, and I think that’s why this experiment has been so successful,” said Dawkins when asked about the results so far. “The sense of loving and caring about each other has spread like wildfire and keeps growing here,” she said.
Here are some ways Dawkins has created Love Notes for her residents:
It’s the little things that matter
“I just try to listen sometimes, and pay attention to what people are talking about,” said Dawkins when asked how she thinks of ways to share the love with her residents. If it’s good news or challenging news, she said she tries to “share a kind word, or even a card with well-wishes sometimes – just something to keep their spirits up and let them know we care.” Since it’s a pet-friendly community, she also keeps dog treats in office to share with her residents’ furry family members.
If you build it, they will come
Dawkins noticed that some of her residents tended to congregate around the mailbox area, chatting as they waited for the postal carrier. “I thought it would be nice if they had someplace to sit while they’re talking,” so she had her maintenance crew build benches where “residents can relax in the shade as they hang out and chat,” she said.
Resident activities
“Having an involved and active community is a sign that you’re doing your job right,” said Dawkins. She likes to keep things hopping for her residents, and she’s found that they are “ready to play”. A few of the many resident functions she’s hosted so far include:
- Scavenger hunts – This spring, she hid Easter eggs around the property that contained clues to win the grand prize
- Window bingo – The residents have a bingo card, she posts a letter/number combo in the office window daily, and “Bingo!” someone wins the prize when they fill in that magic row.
- Group socials – Many members of the community gather together in the clubroom for fun times, mostly centering around food themes like ice cream day, or a Texas favorite, Frito Pie day, where residents belly up to the taco bar and create their own Frito Pie extravaganzas. “It just makes my day to look around and see people eating, talking, laughing together… it’s what makes my job so enjoyable,” said Dawkins.
Group outings
She also recognized that people tend to have fun in numbers, and, since they often like to go out together to enjoy the shopping, dining and green spaces surrounding the property, she helps to facilitate the outings from their prime location whenever possible:
- Grover Nelson Park is within walking distance of their Abilene apartment community, where they can enjoy walking, kayaking, and swimming surrounded by scenic views.
- Abilene Zoo and Botanical Park, with more than 1,000 animals, beautiful gardens, a lake and park, is also just down the route for her residents.
- Rose’s Mexican Restaurant and the Lytle Lake Steakhouse are just two of the dining options to choose from to celebrate special occasions or just enjoy a simple meal together.
If you’re looking for a great apartment in Abilene with a close and active community in a quiet park-like setting, contact us today at Lexington Court Apartment Homes. We’re ready to schedule your personal tour and help you find the perfect place to call home!
(325) 673-4000
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When author Peter Kageyama talks about cities, he focuses on “love notes” – simple things created in a city that “surprise and delight”, including interesting artwork or unique design.
These love notes can differ from city to city, including large-scale projects like public art installations and beautified areas where people can gather, to small and simple things such as a small rock garden where local residents hand-paint stones and add them to the display.
Vital cities are about more than being just functional and safe. When local residents are proud of certain focal points in their cities, these love notes can become fun touchpoints that residents are proud of and want to share with loved ones and visitors.
By considering the five guiding principles for a community – “functional, safe, comfortable, convivial and fun – the end result will be to build lovable cities.
Inspired by this philosophy, Jesslyn Davis, community director of Bent Tree Apartments in Abilene, is making sure her apartment community follows the same principles. “I want our residents to love where they live and stay for years, because that’s how a close community grows together,” she said.
Davis shared some of the ways she’s enhanced her apartment community:
Functional
“We have on-site management here to make sure things function smoothly, including a 24-hour on-call maintenance team to cover emergency repairs,” said Davis. “We also offer digital options to pay rent and make online maintenance requests for people with busy lives.”
Safe
Residents in Davis’ community each have fenced-in backyards to help ensure their safety and security, and each apartment comes with a covered carport to help protect cars during the “occasional crazy Abilene storm.”
Comfortable
Great amenities include a full kitchen appliance package, ceiling fans, plush carpet and oversize closets to help make everyday living easier. Living in a pet-friendly community is not only comfortable, but imperative for people with furry family members.
Once you step outside, comfort still matters. “At our place, besides the patios and balconies that provide plenty of outdoor space to relax and enjoy the view, we also have a great pool and a 24-hour fitness center,” said Davis. Location matters too, as you want it to be close to good schools, great shopping and major routes. For example, “We’re in a great neighborhood area – surrounded by houses and huge trees – and we’re centrally located with everything right down the street with easy access to Winters Freeway and the Interstate 20 Business Loop and several bus stops nearby,” said Davis.
Convivial
One very important aspect of apartment living is how well the community gets along. Davis loves the fact that she and her staff have brought the concept of love notes to life. “We were inspired by Kageyama’s love notes and created a few of our own in our community,” she said. Some of these projects include: building a dog park on-site, installing a tree swing by the office that the kids use, building a bench around a tree, so residents can enjoy the shade on sunny days, and providing flat, smooth rocks along with paint for kids so they can decorate the stones and display them in the resident rock garden near the front door of the office.
FUN!
Beyond the convivial spirit between residents, Davis recognizes the need for good old-fashioned fun sometimes, both on the property and in the surrounding area.
Onsite: The staff at Bent Tree Apartments shows love for its residents beyond the daily good service they provide. For example, “Each summer we have a huge annual resident-appreciation BBQ and pool party with food and entertainment for all,” Davis said, adding, “People love it and come back every year.” She said, “Oh, and we always have popsicles in the office for the kiddos.”
Nearby: Her community is also close to so many fun options, so residents can:
- Travel back in time at the Taylor County History Center
- Watch artists in action at The Center for Contemporary Arts
- See local art and photos at the Grace Museum
- Toast the good life at the Pappy Slokum Brewery or the Winery at Willow Creek
- Indulge their sweet tooth at McKay’s Bakery
- Catch live theater, concerts, musicals, film, opera, and dance performances at the historic Paramount Theatre
- Learn about the cosmos at the Morgan Jones Planetarium
- Go wild at the Abilene Zoo
Be close to all the excitement that Abilene has to offer while enjoying great amenities and a close community by living at Bent Tree Apartments.
Why wait? Contact us today to schedule a tour and start and living life at its finest in a great apartment in Abilene, TX.
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Moving into a new apartment is exciting! Throwing an apartment-warming party is a great way to share that experience with family and friends by welcoming them to your new space and showing off its charm and style. It can also be a fun way to say hello to your new neighbors and start getting to know your community.
At Summer Winds Apartment Homes, we want to make sure your apartment-warming celebration is memorable, so we’ve put together six fun ideas to help you plan your party…
- Decide on a Theme – There are lots of ways you can go with party themes, so you can choose the one that fits your style the best:
- If you’re throwing the bash right after you move in, you can host an Unpacking Party where guests can speed up the moving-in process in exchange for food and beverages that you provide.
- If you’re not the greatest cook, consider making it a Potluck Party because friends and family are usually happy to pitch in. Keep it simple by having them bring appetizers, so your guests can mingle as they munch.
- Send Evites – Forget paper. Instead, choose and create the perfect online invitation and track your RSVPs with apps like Evite or Greenenvelope. This is a great opportunity to give your guests a sneak peek into the theme and style of your apartment-warming party, and by sending them three to four weeks in advance, it allows them to save the date.
- Take cues from your apartment community – At Summer Winds, there’s always something fun and worthwhile happening, and you can incorporate some of these ideas into your apartment-warming party. From a chocolate fountain on Valentine’s Day and a game center in the summer to school-supply drives in the fall and an annual holiday food-drive and party in the winter, there are lots of fun decorating ideas and themes to borrow from and participate in.
- Set up a selfie corner – This is always a crowd-pleaser, and it’s really easy to do. Designate a corner or spot, add a few balloons for a colorful background and throw in some props like fake mustaches, crazy hats, feather boas and giant sunglasses – this never fails to entertain, and people will be showing off your sweet new apartment when they share the pics.
- Hold a Design Competition – If you’re not sure how you want to decorate a room or space in your new apartment, invite your design-savvy guests to sketch some ideas for you to consider. The best idea wins… and you’ll win too by having one of the best-looking apartments in Abilene!
- Give Tours of Your New Apartment – Whether you want to show off your new kitchen with its complete kitchen appliance package, your spacious floor plan, or enviable walk-in closets, people will want to check out your new place. Don’t forget to show them your outdoor amenities too, from the sparkling swimming pool to BBQ areas and convenient pet stations in your new pet-friendly community.
- Branch Out – Since your new apartment is in a prime location near the heart of Abilene, just about everything in town is within a 10-minute radius. You can start the party at your place and then branch out to enjoy activities together in the surrounding area because it’s so close to freeways, transportation, parks, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.
Are you ready to move and start celebrating your new apartment? Contact us at Summer Wind Apartment Homes to schedule your tour today to find your new home.
| Phone: | (325) 695-0892 |
| Email: | Schedule a Tour |
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]]>The post A Great City to Live In: Abilene, TX appeared first on Weidner Apartment Homes Blog.
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Abilene, Texas, known for its rich culture and beautiful terrain, is commonly referred to as part of Texas' claim to "Big Country." Offering a relatively low cost of living, finding apartments for rent in Abilene is a breeze! What truly makes this city stand out though, is its fun vibe, friendly spirit, and historical roots. This great city has a little something for everyone with plenty of that famous Texas charm.
Things to Do and See in Abilene, TX
Get to know the city by learning about its history at The Grace Museum, 12th Armored Museum, or the Paramount Theatre, which was built in 1930 and still hosts events, productions, and specialty films. Frontier Texas is an interactive history museum featuring special exhibits, events, and a summer camp for the kids.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Abilene owns up to its "Big Country" reputation. Parker Hill Nature Trail, Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, and Red Bud Park are all among the top favorites for residents and tourists alike. The Abilene Zoo is a great place for making family memories, and you can see what a day in the life of a Zebra looks like through their Zebra Cam.
Dining and Shopping in Abilene, TX
With Big Country comes big appetites and Abilene has plenty of cafés, pubs, and restaurants to please a variety of tastes. Taylor County Tap House, Lytle Land and Cattle Company, and Copper Creek Restaurant are just a sampling of some of the cuisine Abilene is famous for. Barbecue is done right in this city, with a few of the hot spots being Stillwater Bar B Que, Texas Cowboy BBQ, and Joe Allen's Pit Bar B Q.
For shopping, head over to the Mall of Abilene, which is the only enclosed regional shopping center in West Central Texas. Here, you will find nationwide and niche retailers such as Candy Craze, Bucket Heads Boutique and BAM!
Education and Employment in Abilene, TX
Major employees make their home in or around Abilene, including the City of Abilene, Dyess Air Force Base, Hendrick Health System, and Abilene Regional Medical Center. Colleges and universities include Abilene Christian University, Hardin Simmons University, American Commercial College – Abilene, and McMurry University. Weidner Apartment Homes in Abilene, TX
Whether you're a native to Abilene or you're new to the city, having a comfortable and stylish place to call home makes the city all that much more enjoyable. Take a look at our extraordinary apartments for rent in Abilene, TX.
At Weidner, what matters to you, matters to us and we're so pleased to welcome you home!
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Weidner Texas properties got into the holiday spirit this year by inviting residents to participate in a contest to decorate their front doors and patios. The contest has been a great success with some 75 residents participating in the contest. Participants were asked to submit their photos by December 14, 2016. There were 20 winning photos and each winner received a $100 Visa Gift Card. Those winners were then entered into the Grand Prize drawing to receive one month's free rent!
The winning photos were posted to the Weidner Texas Facebook page, where viewers can visit and vote on their favorite submission through December 22, 2016. One Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the 20 photos by the number of "Likes" they receive on Facebook. Weidner Texas properties are aglow with festive decorations that show creativity, imagination and holiday cheer. Check out a few of the submission photos, then visit our Facebook page, cast your vote, and join in on the seasonal fun! Happy Holidays, from Weidner!
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Guests can feed the giraffes by hand at the new Giraffe Safari exhibit. This beautiful, new home for the Zoo's giraffe herd is twice as big as their old one. It took four years to build, countless hours of staff and volunteer time and millions of dollars in support from the community.
You Can Escape to the Tropics!
Take a trip to a tropical island without leaving Abilene! The Caribbean Cove is full of brightly colored birds, animals and plants. The Cove is a treat for the ears too. Listen to the sounds of the frogs, toads, parrots, macaws, toucans and monkeys. It's like an animal symphony!
You Can Visit the World's Largest Spider!
Fans of crawling creatures will be thrilled to know that the Abilene Zoo is home to the largest spider in the world. The spider shares its home in the Zoo's Reptile House with many other fascinating creatures, including lots of different kinds of snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises.
You Can See a 13-Foot Alligator!
The Wetlands of America exhibit features ducks, swans, chickens, flamingos and a big American alligator. Butterflies like to hang out here too during their migration season. Take it all in from the exhibit's pretty boardwalk.
There Are Wonderful Educational Opportunities for Kids!
The Abilene Zoo helps kids of all ages develop love and respect for nature. The Zoo's offerings range from classes for pre-schoolers to exciting volunteer opportunities for teens, including working behind the scenes to assist zoo keepers or being junior counselors at zoo camp. The zoo, which is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and stays open late on Thursday evenings in the summer, is one of many special attractions that make living in Abilene so rewarding. Here at Weidner Apartment Homes, we love animals as much as you do, which is why our apartment communities are pet friendly. If you are looking for great Abilene area apartments with luxurious amenities, give us a call. We'd love to show you around.
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