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Books Set Around the World
Welcome to the WBC Book Club, where your favorite Admins & Agents share our favorite books of the moment! From fictional adventures to inspiring true stories, you can find it all right here on the WBC blog. You may notice that the format of our book recs look a little different than most, but that’s because our team loves to stand out and provide an unparalleled experience in all aspects of our business.
Feed your wanderlust without having to leave your home with this month’s #LiteraryListings set around the world. From the cozy Cotswolds to scenic Sweden to metropolitan Moscow, these books are sure to transport you to inspiring destinations. Grab your passport and get reading!
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Marketing Remarks:
Applications now open for short and extended stays at the Metropol Hotel. A testament to Art Nouveau design, this luxurious hotel is located in the heart of Moscow in the famed Theatre Square. For those seeking clemency from Bolsheivk regimes, the hotel offers a fully furnished apartment on the sixth floor, where privacy and seclusion are guaranteed. Need an office, storage or hiding space? An additional room may be accessed via a secret door in the wardrobe. Enjoy numerous hotel amenities, from the world-class restaurant, The Boyarsky, to a professional on-site barber. You will never get want to leave the Metropol!
Agent Remarks: A colorful cast of characters bloom against the stark world of Bolshevik Russia in A Gentleman in Moscow. After being sentenced to permanent house arrest at the Hotel Metropol, Count Alexander Rostov must find interesting ways to keep busy, from spying on communist party meetings to becoming a head waiter at the hotel restaurant. Amor Towles crafts a beautiful story of fortitude, of finding family in the most unlikely of places, and the pursuit of beauty and freedom even when the world seems too ugly to be saved.
Directions: Read the full synopsis here!
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Marketing Remarks: Welcome to the quaint town of Malmkoping, where you can live out your golden years in comfort surrounded by the beauty of nature. Lovely ground-floor unit available overlooking the gardens with easy access to communal lounge where fun events, like birthday parties for centenarians, are hosted weekly! The Old Folks Home of Malmkoping is within easy walking distance to the city center & bus station. Don’t miss this great opportunity!
Agents Remarks: The 100 Year Old Man… is a heartwarming escapade chronicling the journey of Allan after he escapes from the Old Folks Home on the afternoon of his 100th birthday. What begins as a harmless jaunt to the train station quickly devolves into a hilarious chase across Sweden involving shady drug dealers, an elephant named Sonja and several unlikely allies. Throughout the book, readers are offered a glimpse into Allan’s eccentric past working as a demolition expert, a brief imprisonment in a gulag and befriending several world leaders of questionable morals. Jonas Jonasson offers readers a literary treat, proving that adventure can be found by those who have the courage to climb out the window and seek it.
Directions: Read the full synopsis here!
How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry
Marketing Remarks: Escape to the idyllic Cotswolds! This three-story building on the high street is a rare find – the lower level is outfitted for commercial use (it has been home to the utterly charming Nightingale Books for over thirty years!) and upper levels designated for residential space. A book lover’s quaint hamlet, complete with golden oak floors, ornate plasterwork & custom built-ins for the most extensive personal libraries. Make Peasebrook your home!
Agent Remarks: If you are looking for a cozy read, look no further than this gem by Veronica Henry. Grappling with the loss of her father, Emilia faces the harrowing task of keeping his beloved bookshop open amidst a rather bleak financial situation & the weight of her own feeling of aimlessness. But everyday that she opens the shop, she is reminded of the extraordinary impact Nightingale Books has on the community of Peasebrooke, providing every patron with the tools to succeed in their own journey, whether they are searching for love, friendship or even closure. How to Find Love in a Bookshop explores the varied nature of love and the power of books to shape our lives and futures.
Directions: Read the full synopsis here!
What should we read next? We are always on the lookout for new book recommendations and would love to hear from you – tag us on social media with your favorite stories!
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Written by Makena Schoene
Supporting Local Businesses During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Many small businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 due to mandated closures and customers staying at home. We can help them by doing things like:
- Order take-out from restaurants that offer it, and pick up directly if possible rather than 3 rd-party delivery to avoid fees charged back to the restaurant.
- Buy gift cards from service providers like hair salons (gift them or use them later).
- Buy locally whenever possible, and look for online stores from local providers.
- If you can afford to continue paying service providers who can’t work but depend on your income, do.
- Check into online services and classes offered by local fitness studios, tutors, financial planners and more.
- Tip delivery people generously if you can. They’re on the front lines of exposure. (And of course if you feel sick, avoid direct contact with them.)
Help Homeless Youth Stay Warm This Winter
Windermere and the Seattle Seahawks have come together for another season to help #Tacklehomelessness in our community.
As part of that campaign, Windermere is hosting a “We’ve Got You Covered” winter drive for YouthCare, a non-profit that provides support and services to homeless youth throughout the Puget Sound area.
We are collecting NEW hats, scarves, gloves/mittens, and warm socks.
From October 15 through November 9, you can drop off donations to participating Windermere offices in King and Snohomish Counties**. Our friends at Gentle Giant Moving Company are generously donating their time and trucks to pick up all of the donations from our offices. Donations can also be dropped off directly to YouthCare, Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm, at 2500 NE 54th St, Seattle, WA 98105.
Each night, over 1,500 young people are homeless in King County. Please help them stay warm during the cold winter months by dropping off your donations to our participating offices.
Feel free to contact your Windermere agent or local office for more information, or email justask@windermere.com.
Community Service Day 2018 – Windermere Bellevue Commons
Windermere Community Service Day – June 8th, 2018
Every year since 1984, Windermere managers, brokers and staff have dedicated a day of work to complete neighborhood improvement projects as part of Windermere’s Community Service Day. Creating vibrant communities is one of the things that inspire all of us at Windermere as it gives us an opportunity to give back to the communities where we live and work. After all, real estate is rooted in our communities. And an investment in our neighborhoods gives us all a better place to call home.
This year Windermere Community Service Day is on June 8th, 2018. On this day, our brokers and staff at Bellevue Commons will be doing a variety of projects at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center; we’ve been volunteering at this great organization for the past 18 years. We will be cleaning, gardening and painting to help out this awesome group of people.
Last year we helped Little Bit get ready for their auction, whacked the weeds, and washed windows, and planted new plants. The brokers also washed the horses’ paddock fencing and arena fencing.
Volunteering at Little Bit – June 2017
Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center improves the bodies, minds, and spirits of children and adults with disabilities through equine-assisted therapies and activities, and to be an inspiration and educational resource to the therapeutic riding profession, both regionally and nationally.
Watch this video to learn more about Little Bit.
Windermere Foundation Surpasses $35 Million In Giving
Proud to be Windermere…
We are very proud of our brokers to support the Windermere Foundation which has raised over $35 million since 1989. In 2017, Eastside offices alone, raised up to $225,000 to help 22 organizations on the Eastside.
The Windermere Foundation had another banner year in 2017, raising even more than it did the prior year thanks to the continued support of Windermere franchise owners, agents, staff, and the community. Over $2.4 million was raised in 2017, which is an increase of eight percent over the previous year. This brings our total to over $35.5 million raised since the start of the Windermere Foundation in 1989.
A portion of the money raised last year is thanks to our agents who each make a donation to the Windermere Foundation from every commission they earn. Additional donations from Windermere agents, the community, and fundraisers made up 66% of the money collected in 2017. These funds enable our offices to support local non-profits that provide much-needed services to low-income and homeless families in their communities.
SUMMARY OF FUNDS, GRANTS & DONATIONS IN 2017
- Organizations served: 472
- Number of individual grants fulfilled: 644
- Average grant amount: $2,964.04
- Average donation to the Windermere Foundation: $116.08
FUNDING BREAKDOWN
- Total amount disbursed in 2017: $2,249,357.14
- Total disbursed through grants: $1,908,843.54
- Scholarships: 5%
- Youth/Child Programs: 33%
- Emergency Assistance: 24%
- Shelter: 11%
- School Assistance: 5%
- Education/Counseling: 12%
- Administrative Expenses: 2%
- Fundraising Expenses: 8%
So how are Windermere Foundation funds used? Windermere offices decide for themselves how to distribute the money in their local community. Our offices have helped support school lunch and afterschool programs, housing assistance for homeless families, food banks, homeless shelters, and non-profits that provide basic necessities, such as shoes, clothing, toiletries, and blankets to families in need.
A very notable day in 2017 for the Windermere Foundation was November 15, when a record-breaking $253,782 was given in a single day. A total of 35 non-profit organizations benefitted from that day’s donations, including Attain Housing in Kirkland, WA, which received $56,000 from the Windermere Eastside offices. Other organizations that received donations were Boys and Girls Club of Contra Costa in Walnut Creek, CA, and the Shady Cove School in Shady Cove, Oregon.
2017 also marked the second year of our #tacklehomelessness campaign with the Seattle Seahawks, in which Windermere committed to donating $100 for every Seahawks home game defensive tackle to YouthCare, a non-profit organization that provides critical services to homeless youth. While the Seahawks didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, they did help us raise $31,800. When added to last year’s $35,000, that’s a total donation of $66,800. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide additional support to homeless youth thanks to the Seahawks, YouthCare, and the #tacklehomelessness campaign.
Thanks to our agents and everyone who supports the Windermere Foundation, we are able to continue to make a difference in the lives of many families in our local communities. If you’d like to help support programs in your community, please click the Donate button.
From Windermere Eastside brokers to Eastside organizations
Windermere Eastside brokers donated $225,000 in 2017
In 2017, 22 organizations on the Eastside were granted $225,000 thanks to Windermere Eastside brokers. The grants help our Eastside community in various ways from providing school supplies and meals to housing needs.
The list of grant recipients
- Acres of Diamonds – $4,000. This grant provides women and children transitional housing and support programs to rebuild lives from domestic abuse and/or substance abuse.
- Assistance League – $15,000. This grant goes to the Operation School Bell program that provides basic items of clothing to low-income students, grades K-12.
- Attain Housing – $56,000. This grant provides affordable housing to homeless families with children as well as case management for setting financial and social goals.
- Backpack Meals – $10,000. This grant provides weekend meals to Bellevue School District students who are homeless and would otherwise go hungry.
- Bellevue LifeSpring – $31,000. This grant supports the Breaktime-Mealtime Program which provides 80,000 meals to children during school breaks.
- Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue – $7,500. This grant supports Project Learn after school and summer camp programs at three low-income housing Clubhouses.
- Eastside Academy – $6,000. This grant pays food expenses for homeless and poverty-level students while they attend this alternative high school.
- Eastside Baby Corner – $20,000. This grant provides essentials like diapers and formula to economically disadvantaged children, from birth to age 12.
- Escape to Peace – $2,500. This grant helps create awareness of sex trafficking of Eastside minors and helps fund a healing center – a safe place for children to escape and to provide healing.
- Friends of Youth – $2,500. This grant helps fund emergency response and shelter, then long-term placement, to children (ages 7-17) experiencing trauma or abuse in east King County.
- Hopelink – $2,300. This grant supports the Pantry Pack Program which provides lunches to poverty-level children in the 36 Lake Washington School District schools.
- Imagine Housing – $5,000. This grant will target under 18-year olds in their Support Services Program that provides affordable housing and life skill case management in East King County.
- Issaquah Community Services – $2,500. This grant will provide emergency aid in the form of utility payments to low-income families in the Issaquah School District.
- Issaquah Food Bank – $2,500. This grant helps maintain a refrigerated box truck utilized as a mobile food bank to remote Eastside communities that have difficulty accessing food bank services.
- Kindering – $3,000. This grant provides developmental support, screening, and early intervention therapies to the very young children of homeless families.
- Lifewire – $20,000. This grant supports the Hotel-Motel Voucher Program, which provides emergency short-term stays in hotels and motels for victim of domestic violence.
- Mamma’s Hands – $15,000. This grant supports three Houses of Hope that house mothers and children from abuse and homelessness and helps them develop individual plans to bring changes to their lives.
- Pantry Packs – $3,700. This grant supports the Lake Washington Schools Foundation’s program that provides weekend, child-friendly food packs to children of qualified low-income families.
- Royal Family Kids Camp – $6,000. This grant supports summer camp for abused, neglected and abandoned foster children (ages 7-11).
- Treehouse – $3,000. This grant supports the Little Wishes Program which allows foster care youth to participate in extracurricular arts, athletics, and other educational experiences.
- Village Theatre – $2,500. This grant helps the Theatre’s outreach to the youth of low-income families so they can have access to theatre and arts education, regardless of their ability to pay.
- Youth Eastside Services – $5,000. This grant supports YES Lifeline, which provides free mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment to low-income East King County youth and families.
Community Service Day 2017 – Windermere Bellevue Commons
Windermere Community Service Day – June 9th, 2017
This year Windermere Community Service Day is on June 9th, 2017. On this day, our brokers and staff at Bellevue Commons will be doing a variety of projects at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center; we’ve been volunteering at this great organization for the past 17 years.
Last year we painted the caretaker’s home (the whole house!), took care of rain garden maintenance, weed whacked, and washed windows. The brokers also washed the horses’ paddock fencing and arena fencing.
Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center improves the bodies, minds, and spirits of children and adults with disabilities through equine-assisted therapies and activities, and to be an inspiration and educational resource to the therapeutic riding profession, both regionally and nationally.
