Apartment Trends Magazine September 2020 | Page 13

APARTMENTS GIVING BACK
13-Year-Old Raises Over
To Help Coloradans with Rent
$10,000
Over $120,000 in Total Donations have been made to the Resident Relief Fund, an organization that
has partnered with Colorado Apartment Association and its members, to help Coloradans pay rent.
Rena Brittan, a 13-year-old in Denver, announced
in June that, as part of her bat mitzvah project,
she was going to raise funds for Coloradans who
need help paying rent amid COVID-19. Rena has donated
the funds raised from her bat mitzvah to the Colorado fund
at the Resident Relief Foundation (RRF), a 501(c)(3), which
was initiated by the Apartment Association of Metro Denver
(AAMD) and the Colorado Apartment Association (CAA) to
help renters during the pandemic.
“We are honored that someone would take the initiative
to secure donations for Coloradans who need help paying
rent, but the fact that a 13-year old gave up her birthday
gifts so that others could stay in their homes was especially
moving,” said Mark Williams, executive vice president of the
Colorado Apartment Association. “To continue supporting
Rena and the tremendous work that she is doing for the rental
community, the Apartment Association of Metro Denver is
recognizing Rena as the August Person of the Month and
matching $5,000 in donations to Resident Relief Foundation.”
Each month, AAMD recognizes an AAMD member or
community member for their involvement in the association
and commitment to the industry. Each person of the month
can name a charity for AAMD to donate $500 under their
name.
“Rena more than deserves the award for August,” said
Williams.
Rena’s mother, Dana Brittan, explained that Rena started
the GoFundMe as part of her bat mitzvah project. “A bat
mitzvah is the ceremony to recognize becoming an adult,
so the Jewish community wants to see the child exhibit a
sense of community engagement. Due to COVID-19, we were
limited in what our community project could be since we
could not do a community engagement project that involved
in-person contact.”
Rena had been studying child labor laws and poverty
in school and was struck by how COVID-19 would further
complicate the issues related to job loss and poverty and
wanted to help people who had been affected. “As part of my
bat mitzvah, I read in Hebrew from the Torah Scroll,” said
Rena. “To summarize my reading, it said, ‘When you are
more fortunate than others, instead of thinking about your
own problems, open your hands and help those who are less
fortunate.’”
This reading is also what helped Rena make the decision
to partner with RRF, a 501(c)(3) to help people pay rent. “For
my mitzvah project, I wanted to partner with a foundation
that supported people who had job losses because of
COVID-19 and help pay rent,” said Rena.
RRF, a 501(c)(3),
has been working with
AAMD and CAA on
the fund specific for
Coloradans.
“We are honored
that Rena and her
family decided to
partner with Resident
Relief Foundation,
especially for such a
special milestone in her
life,” said Tina Oswald,
executive director
of RRF. “So many families across the United States are
struggling to pay their rent, and we are grateful for people
like Rena who are stepping up to contribute and help our
efforts to raise much-needed funds to bring Colorado renters
the relief they so desperately need.”
Rena initially set a goal of $3,600 when she launched the
GoFundMe page in June. Currently, the page has $10,624 in
donations from more than 80 donors.
“Rena’s efforts continue to exemplify an excellent leader,
who is pulling together to help support our community
during this pandemic,” said Williams. “She has set an
excellent example for Coloradans and we are excited to name
her Person of the Month.”
AAMD honored Rena with an AAMD plaque, a check for
RRF, a pair of Vans shoes, and a donation to Rena’s college
fund.
To make a donation
to the Resident
Relief Fund, scan
this QR code.
Of donations collected through
the GoFundMe, 100% will be sent
to the Resident Relief Foundation,
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
with a dedicated fund to help
Coloradans in need of paying
rent.
Since COVID-19, more
people are being laid off,
and that makes it hard to
pay your rent, I want to
help people pay rent
www.aamdhq.org
SEPTEMBER 2020 TRENDS | 11