Members of the NAA NEXT GEN Committee spent the day giving back during the 2015 NAA Education Conference & Exposition, June 24-27, 2015 in Las Vegas. 

Braving the desert heat, a dozen committee members gathered at Street Teens to give the home a deep cleaning as part of one of the group's core tenets: Community outreach.

"One of the great things about NEXT?GEN?members is their generosity and desire to be a part of something bigger," says Jeannette Cox, Vice President of Operations for Oddo Development Company and Chair of the NAA NEXT GEN Committee. "It is these qualities that allow community outreach to be a substantial piece of our committee goals. We are dedicated to improving the lives and communities around us and we seek opportunities to make a difference. NEXT GEN is and will continue to be committed to leaving communities a better place when we leave than when we arrived." 

Street Teens (www.streetteens.org) is dedicated to assisting homeless, abandoned and at-risk youth in the Las Vegas valley. The organization's primary goal is to meet the survival needs of these youths by providing basic necessities in a safe, compassionate environment, including access to education, heath care and employment resources at its drop-in center. 

"I truly believe that this is a great organization for us to partner with," says Jay Lopeman, Director, Strategic Accounts for HD?Supply and Community Outreach Subcommittee Chair. "Their story really hit home when Lisa Preston [Street Teens sole full-time staff] shared with me this quote: 'When a child decides it's safer to live in the streets versus staying at home, that is where Street Teens is the solution.' If we can just provide a little support, it'll go a long way."

In addition to the cleaning supplies and elbow grease, Nathan Burnett, Vice President of Watchtower Security, partnered with the NEXT GEN Committee and gifted the Street Teens facility additional security cameras for their current system, providing an increased level of coverage for the property.

"It was such an eye-opening experience how one center changes the lives of many homeless teens," says Chris Carter, Regional Vice President for Carter-Haston Real Estate Services and NAA NEXT GEN Co-Chair.