Bella Trae, a Sentry-managed community located in Champions Gate, FL recently held their 3rd Annual Backpack and School Supply Drive for the Specials Programs Department of the Osceola County school system. The drive raised over $2,500 worth of school supplies.

Sentry General Manager, Craig Crenshaw started the drive back in 2015 and decided to hold it annually, after seeing its success.

Backpacks were filled with the collected school supplies and handed out to the 28 sponsored children. The drive had enough supplies left over that they were able to donate the remainder to Loughman Oaks Elementary School, a school in Polk County with 100% of the students on a free or reduced lunch program.

“My plan is to encourage my Sentry staff here to join me in volunteering at Loughman Oaks. The school needs help with reading assistance for children, assist with school functions, and after-school programs as well,” Craig explains.

The Bella Trae lifestyle director created name tags with the name and age of each child. The backpacks and supplies were then handed out to the children when they visited the office.

“The spirit of a community doesn’t stop at the gate to the property. I am always humbled by the outpouring of generosity from the residents at Bella Trae. It is clear to me that our residents have a desire to be part of something bigger and I feel that it is up to us as Association Managers to help facilitate that,” Craig said.

This cause and many others are supported by the Sentry SMILES program, which is funded by the company and its employees who opt to donate portions of their paychecks to give back to community members in need. The SMILES program encourages employees to contribute to local charities within their communities. Over 100 local charities and causes are supported by the employees of Sentry offices in 16 different states.

Sentry Management is a full-service community management company. Sentry’s business is the day-to-day operation of communities, homeowner associations, and condominiums. Sentry is accredited as an AMO® (Accredited Management Organization) by the Institute of Real Estate Management, providing an independent evaluation that Sentry has one of the highest operating and financial standards in the industry. View our full list of services here: http://www.sentrymgt.com/for-association-boards/services/.