When Annaly Capital Management, Inc. expanded its residential mortgage finance offices from New York City into Dallas in 2022, one of the first tasks given to Michelle Grissman, office manager, was to identify nonprofits in the area that Annaly could support. This was important to the firm because, “We recognize that the livelihood and the strength of the communities where our employees are and where our company is matters,” explains Tanya Rakpraja, head of corporate responsibility and government relations for Annaly. “We want to support vulnerable communities in the places where we are—to help build thriving communities and a strong economy where everybody is able to live their lives to the fullest and provide for their families.”
Accordingly, Hope Supply Co. was one of the first nonprofits Annaly chose as a partner in Dallas. Michelle says they easily saw the importance of the work that Hope Supply Co. does and the financial transparency it provides. However, the biggest reason they chose Hope Supply Co. is that they serve the local community. “Their services are going out to people who live right here. Their clients are people we possibly walk beside on the sidewalk or run into in a grocery store,” Michelle says.
Annaly supports Hope Supply Co. by participating in North Texas Giving Day, an annual fundraising event sponsored by Communities Foundation of North Texas. This year Annaly gave a generous gift of $10,000, which helped meet the $25,000 matching gift provided by the Hope Supply Co. Board.
In addition, each year Annaly encourages its employees to join together and volunteer at the Hope Supply warehouse. There they help bundle diapers into packets for families and put together bags of newborn diapers, wipes and hygiene items that Hope Supply Co. distributes through Parkland Hospital. “Our teams work really fast,” according to Michelle. “Between the two two-hour shifts, we package probably over 20,000 diapers into packs of 25.” In just those four hours, Annaly employees are serving around 800 families.
Tanya explains the importance of this hands-on volunteer work. “I think it’s meaningful to our employees to connect to what’s happening in their own communities. In Dallas, our staff volunteer to support Hope Supply again and again. Annaly sponsors these volunteer opportunities because our employees want to participate, because it adds to their lives to know that they are having a positive impact.”
Eric Jimenez, a VP of mortgage operations at Annaly, agrees. “I grew up with very little. While volunteering at Hope Supply, I could see my mother or even relatives visiting and benefiting from an organization as such. So many young families don’t want to ask for help or don’t know where to go to ask. This building is near where many Latinos live. When we walked in this morning and saw some of the clients in the front office, I thought, ‘the young Latina woman could have been one of my relatives.’ It was a clear reminder of the importance of giving back to your community and not forgetting where you came from.”
Lauren Risk, a managing director and head of servicing accounting, says she loves to help out at Hope Supply partly because of her own experiences when her family was young, “When my oldest son was young, I struggled financially. Family support was crucial in helping me stabilize. It is difficult as a mom to struggle to provide for your family, and I’m grateful for programs like Hope Supply that offer much-needed assistance.” While Lauren volunteers at Hope Supply Co., her sister works for Catholic Charities (a distribution partner for Hope Supply). “Helping out here packaging diapers, then hearing stories from my sister about the families who receive them, lets me see the process start to finish.”
Employees appreciate the opportunity to serve at-risk children and are grateful for a work environment that encourages and allows them to do so. Kailey Roh, finance associate, says, “I think it’s great that the company lets us help out.”
Lauren agrees, “As a company, Annaly has a ‘give back’ culture.”
Michelle sums up the thoughts of the other volunteers: “Hope Supply is one of our favorite places to go volunteer. Each year we have a lot of participation. In fact, as soon as I send out the calendar invites, the slots fill up, and everybody’s excited and ready to go serve there. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
To learn how you, your organization or company can volunteer in the Hope Supply Co. warehouse, click here.