Post Oak Central One - Community Involvement

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Community Involvement

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2005 Fun Day

	(Left to right) Linda Hirsh, Five Post Oak Park; Lori Cortez, Post Oak Central; Principal Cheryl Thomas, A.A. Milne Elementary; Ted Freyer, Director, Property Management Post Oak Central; and Jim Wilson, Senior Vice President, Property Management Houston Region

Post Oak Central and Five Post Oak Park Donate Kindergarten Playground Equipment

Post Oak Central and Five Post Oak Park were honored Monday by their FACES of Change partner school, A. A. Milne Elementary for contributing new playground equipment and a beautiful butterfly garden.

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Crescent's customers, employees and business partners at Post Oak Central and Five Post Oak Park donated more than $10,000 worth of playground equipment and materials to complete the project. Crescent's FACES of Change partnership also coordinated the installation of the butterfly garden at A.A. Milne. The butterfly garden was generously donated by Crescent landscape vendor, Sherrariums Plantscaping Company.

The entire school assembled for the dedication ceremony which included several short speeches by local community members and school district personnel Ted Freyer, Director, Property Management and A.A. Milne Principal Cheryl Thomas cut the official dedication ribbon.

Upon partnering with Crescent, A. A. Milne Principal Cheryl Thomas alerted Crescent to the school's need for improvements to the Kindergarten playground area, and Crescent's FACES of Change program swung into action. Principal Thomas remarked "The pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students are excited each day at recess. They are enjoying the new playground equipment, which is much safer for them to play on than the old equipment that we had."

A special thank-you to Lori Cortez and Linda Hirsh who coordinated the installation of the playground equipment and butterfly garden.

It's All About the Kids.

That's the motto of Faces of Change, Crescent Real Estate's public-private partnership launched in 1997. And, starting with the 2003-04 school year, it has been the motto for Post Oak Central as well.

"This past fall, we initiated a three-year partnership with A.A. Milne Elementary in southwest Houston. The school is very eager and very receptive," said Ted Freyer, director of property management, Galleria properties. "We're off to a great start, and we anticipate being able to have a positive impact on the environment at Milne.

"This program represents the spirit of our commitment to being a worthwhile participant in the community in which we work and live," continued Mr. Freyer. "Crescent's business ventures in Houston have been successful, and it is appropriate that we share our success. Through FACES, we are able to give back to the community and enrich the educational experiences of the children, who are the future of Houston."

FACES of Change is designed to provide a structure for Crescent customers, employees and business partners to link with area elementary schools, providing support in the form of funding, supplies and services. The program was adopted as a company-wide effort by Crescent Real Estate in 1997. Since that time, the public/private partnership has generated more than $1 million in funding, services and supplies for more than 50 schools across the country.

Under the FACES umbrella, more than 7,000 people have volunteered more than 25,000 hours to help students, teachers and families welcome the future. For the 2003-04 school year, 26 schools are partnered with 37 properties nationwide. Post Oak Central is partnering with A.A. Milne Elementary School in conjunction with Five Post Oak Park, a nearby Crescent property.

The School at 7800 Portal
Milne Elementary, named for A.A. Milne, who is the author of the Winnie the Pooh books, is located in southwest Houston at 7800 Portal. The student body is comprised of more than 825 students in pre-kindergarten through grade five. There are approximately 50 teachers on the faculty, with about 20 ancillary personnel and staff. Cheryl E. Thomas has served as principal for three years.

Milne Fact Sheet

"Ours is a lively, vibrant school," said Ms. Thomas. "And, with the budget cutbacks, this partnership has really been a blessing. Having Post Oak Central and the other Crescent buildings on our team, we are able to implement programs that aren't covered in our budget."

Children with toys photo

The Wish List
The partnership with Milne began even before the first school bell in August with a drive to purchase uniforms for students. "FACES helped tremendously at the beginning of the year," said Ms. Thomas. "Not only did the program provide $500 so we could purchase school uniforms, but also the volunteers at Post Oak Central and the other building purchased - and delivered - more uniforms."

Volunteers from Post Oak Central participated in the renovation of one of Milne's campus play areas. The playground, originally installed as part of Houston SPARK, a nonprofit organization that helps develop recreational areas in traditionally low-income communities, was in need of revitalization. During renovation, volunteers pitched in providing elbow grease and green-thumb know-how, broadcasting grass seed, spreading mulch, and performing general maintenance.

FACES at Post Oak Central also provided school supplies, hosted a coat drive, and presented 375 students at the school with holiday gifts.

And this is just the beginning. Projects on Milne's wish list include classroom libraries, book packs that travel home with students to encourage parent-child reading sessions, a new kindergarten play area and more. Additionally, the school would love volunteers to help with a literacy campaign and to participate in an "I Love to Read" day at the school.

When we were needed
There are numerous ways individuals and companies can participate in FACES. All monetary contributions on behalf of the school become a part of the Crescent Community Fund, a 501C3 Tax Deductible Fund. For information on how to get involved, contact us at 713.871.0500.

From the Management...