With the holiday spirit all around, this is a great time of year to get your residents together and show them your appreciation. Here are a couple fun ideas that you can do around your apartment community:
1. Resident gifts: A small gift for your residents is an easy way to say thank you for living in your community and the holidays are a great time to surprise them. Order T-shirts or sustainable bags with your branding on them for each resident. Print some festive notes to say Happy Holidays and put them in your resident mailboxes. Each resident can use the note to redeem their gift from the leasing office. This would also be a great time to have them update their contact information with you. Your residents will love their new swag and your branding will be all over the city.
2. A hot drink on a cold day: The weather is getting colder (in Chicago at least) and everyone likes a nice warm drink on a bitter day. Set up a table at the front gate or leasing office to hand out free coffee or hot chocolate for a day. Make sure to promote the event, so residents don’t make their own cup that morning. Everyone will start their day off right, thanks to you!
3. Host a white elephant: It can be hard to meet your neighbors, especially if you live in a large community. Host a ‘Meet Your Neighbors White Elephant’ in your community room. Invite everyone to bring a wrapped gift, valued around $10, which could go to either a boy or girl. Residents can take turns choosing, opening and stealing gifts from each other, while you provide drinks and pizza.
4. Organize a food or clothing drive: The holidays are a great time to give back to those who are less fortunate. Ask your residents to help make a difference in your community by bringing food and clothing to the leasing office for you to donate to a local shelter. You can also ask them to Like Apartments.com on Facebook and they will donate $1 on their behalf to help end homelessness.
5. Have a holiday potluck dinner: Who doesn’t love a warm, home-cooked meal around the holidays? This is a great idea, especially if you are in student housing. Invite residents to join you for a potluck dinner, where you provide the turkey and drinks and everyone else brings the side dishes and desserts. This would be a great way for people to meet their neighbors and you get some nice face time with your residents.
6. Write Christmas cards to soldiers: Not everyone gets to go home for the holidays, so it’s nice to reach out and say “Merry Christmas!” Order some pizzas and buy stationary, then invite your residents to join you to write holiday cards to our US soldiers. These little notes can make a big difference to them when they can’t come home to see their families. You never know, you could have some military families living in your community who this would mean the world to.
There are so many ways to enjoy the holidays with your residents this year! Are you planning anything fun?
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