As I mentioned previously, I’ll be heading to Kansas City next week as a part of delegation from the city of Rancho Cordova for the All-America City Awards. I wanted to invite you to follow this exciting journey next Wednesday through Friday through videos, Facebook & Twitter. Technology is going to help us connect!!! It should be great fun. Watch the videos below or here and here.

I’ll be posting from Kansas City mainly from my Twitter account @SacAppraiser and I’ll be getting some videos up at www.facebook.com/Project680 (directly on my YouTube page at www.youtube.com/lundquistco). The official hash-tag on Twitter is #AllAmericaCity (note it is not “American”, but “America”). I’d love to hear from you during my stint in Kansas City. Your support will be a huge encouragement.

This is a real honor for me to represent Project 680 and my city. Go Rancho Cordova!!!!

A few weeks ago KCRA news anchor Diedre Fitpatrick filmed some of the Project 680 team “Raiding the Sock Aisle” at Target in Rancho Cordova. As you’ll see in the video, “Raiding the Sock Aisle” was coined by Erin Attardi. The story turned out really great. I love how it highlights the simplicity of making a difference in the community, our goal of collecting at least 2000 pairs of socks, and how social media can be used to advocate for local homeless kids too. Great job team!!! See the video below.

If you’re interested in www.project680.org, let me know. You can read more about the sock drive and community bike ride HERE.

If you are on Twitter, we are using “#bikingforsocks” as our official hashtag for the upcoming sock drive / bike ride. You can follow Project 680 on Twitter at @project680 and become a fan on Facebook too. Don’t forget to follow those in the video too: Erin Attardi at @erinattardi and Geoff Sakala at @rcpost and Diedre Fitzpatrick at @fitztweeter.

By the way, it’s cool to see that the Sacramento Association of Realtors highlighted Erin’s involvement in a story entitled “Sacramento Realtors in the News“. It’s great to see too how Real Estate Appraiser Tips put up a post entitled: “California Appraiser Ryan Lundquist on KCRA Sacramento News For A Good Cause“.

I’m very excited to announce Project 680′s upcoming “Biking for Socks” event on May 8, 2010. We are doing a community bike ride in order to accomplish three things: 1) Bring awareness to the problem of student homelessness in the FCUSD; 2) Collect socks for homeless kids in the FCUSD; and 3) Gather up a few bucks to be able to give to the District Liaison for Homeless Services so she can meet the needs of students on an “as needed” basis – meaning that when the neediest of students come to her, she can simply take care of some of the things they need – whether clothing, deodarant, shoes, study materials, etc….

Please have a look at the video below and let me know if you have any questions, ideas, or a desire to get involved in any way. Click HERE if you don’t see the video in your RSS or email subscription. Also, you can sign up for the event on Facebook HERE.

I wanted to share some very exciting news. I am humbled and honored to announce that last week the Cordova Community Council graced me with the “Distinguished Service to Youth” award for my work with Project 680. I was not expecting this in any way and I feel extremely honored to have been selected for this annual award. I never do stuff for recognition, but sometimes recognition happens, and this means a great deal to me and my family.

I hesitated to share this news because I didn’t want to come across as self-absorbed or bragging. For anyone who knows me, you know that’s not the way I am. I crossed the line and decided to share though because this is important, friends would like to know, and it also helps get word out about Project 680.

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. Together we can make a difference and help solve problems in our community.

This isn’t related to real estate, but definitely worth sharing. My brother recently let me know about someone he heard of named Betty Londergan. Betty inherited some money and she started something called What Gives 365 Project. In short, Betty is giving away $100 every day to causes she chooses. And she’s blogging about it. 

“This is all my money. It comes from what my dad left each one of us kids when he died, and I can’t think of a single thing my mom would have loved more than to see me giving it away to worthy causes. (However, my dad would undoubtedly say that I need to get my head examined.)”

Why am I bringing this up? I am very pleased to announce that Betty donated $100 to Project  680, a grassroots organization I help steer. Read Betty’s post today on Project 680 entitled “Underwear, Socks, Shoes“.

What do you think of this and what Betty is doing?

I have a “Photos from the Field” category on my site that usually includes pictures relating to real estate somehow, but today I want to shift gears and share something a bit more personal – not TMI, but something that really matters to me.

Project 680 is a grassroots community effort to find practical ways to support local homeless students within the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. We dub ourselves Project “680″ because in 2008 we found out there were ”680″ documented homeless students in the FCUSD. That was shocking and unacceptable, so we decided to do something about it. Since then many individuals, organizations, churches and businesses have come together to advocate for local kids.   

Today was a very exciting day because a friend and I were able to go to Sunrise Elementary School in the Anatolia area of Rancho Cordova to say thank you to some all-star students who gathered items for Project 680. Three kindergarten classes ended up collecting 154 pairs of gloves, 67 hats, and 11 scarves for local homeless students. Way to go kids!!! (and teachers) We are proud of you!!!  

This is such great news and I wanted to share it with you. It’s just too good on so many levels, don’t you think?

Please know though that I don’t mention this to brag or boast in any way. I’m not looking for public kudos either. I just think it’s so important to take a stand for struggling kids as well as find a vision in life that makes a real difference. I am so thankful to be actively learning to live out a vision with locals in Rancho Cordova and Folsom through Project 680. That’s easy to write about.

Join the Project 680 Facebook Page.

I am very pleased to announce that the final tally of donations for the Project 680 Shoe Drive is $3,601.51. This effort is something I fully support in my community, and I am very proud of the way things unfolded for the shoe drive. I have been posting about this from time to time, so you may have known that our goal was to raise $1,500 to purchase 100 pairs of new shoes for students in need within the FCUSD. Well, it looks like the community really bought into the vision and we ended up collecting far more. 

Together we can make a difference – even in this economy. Do you believe that? Thank you to local residents, businesses, churches and organizations that partnered together to put shoes on the feet of students in need. I stand in awe.

www.SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com Wonderful Results from the Project 680 Shoe Drive

This post is not related to real estate appraisal per se, but it has everything to do with “value”. Project 680 is something I wholeheartedly support, help organize and lead, and sponsor as a business.

I firmly believe we can find creative solutions to some of the problems we face in our society, especially as it pertains to local children in need.

Project 680 is a grassroots community effort to find relevant and practical ways to support local students in need. We are working closely with the Folsom Cordova School District Liaison for Homeless Services to support her yearly shoe drive for needy students, and our goal is to raise $1,500 to cover the cost of 100 pairs of brand new shoes. Project 680 is a volunteer team effort and we partner with local residents, individuals, households, organizations, churches, and businesses, to advocate for local kids.

There are many ways to get involved in the shoe drive as mentioned on the Project 680 website, but one specific and creative way that I wanted to make note of is to be a part of the P680 Bike Ride. On Saturday, 11/07/09, Project 680 is hosting a community bike ride as a creative and fun way to raise money for new shoes for needy students. Riders are invited to donate $5.00 each or $10.00 per household, or even put together a “Riding for Shoes” team.

Please have a look at the Project 680 website at www.project680.org and specifically under “Shoes” and “Bike” for information on the Shoe Drive and the Community Bike Ride. This is a short ride and very family-friendly. Even if you haven’t been on a bike for a few decades, you can do this one!!!

Thank you everyone for taking a moment to listen and for your support. Let me know if you have any questions!!!

www.SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com Project 680 Shoe Drive & Bike Ride