$600,000+ in Educational Grants Awarded to Residents of the Michaels Organization for the 2016/17 Academic Year
Marlton, NJ, June 8, 2016 (Newswire.com) - The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation has awarded 216 college scholarships worth a record $604,000 for the 2016/2017 academic year to residents of The Michaels Organization, a national leader in the residential real estate industry and the nation’s number one owner of affordable housing.
With these latest awards, the total amount of scholarships awarded by the non-profit affiliate of The Michaels Organization has reached $5.2 million.
"Our organization is invested in what matters most—housing, family, and education."
John J. O'Donnell, President
“‘Giving back’ has been part of our corporate culture since Michael J. Levitt founded our organization in 1973, and there is no better way to give back than with the gift of an education,” said John J. O’Donnell, president of The Michaels Organization, a family of integrated but independent operating companies dedicated to excellence in affordable, military, multifamily, and student housing.
Among this year’s recipients is a 30-year-old single mother who overcame drug addiction and homelessness and is now in pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Psychology, and a senior citizen living in rural California starting her first year of college.
Of the 216 scholarship recipients, 97 are the children of families who live on posts where Michaels owns or manages the privatized military housing. This includes a college junior whose family is stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Va. Currently majoring in biology, the scholar plans to become a doctor, join the Navy, and pursue a career in medical research, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for Sickle Cell Anemia. His younger sister, who was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia several years ago, is also a 2016 scholarship recipient. She will be a college freshman this fall and has plans to earn a degree in food engineering.
All residents who live in The Michaels Organization's affordable, mixed-income or military housing communities are invited and encouraged to apply for scholarships. The scholarships, which range from $1,000 to $4,000, can be used toward higher education at any accredited college, university, or vocational training program in the country. Students can reapply every year of their education.
The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation has helped more than 2,400 residents achieve their dreams of higher education since Michael Levitt established the foundation in 1991. Mike and and his wife Pat Levitt contribute $2 for every $1 raised in private donations to the Foundation.
Scholarship celebrations will be held this summer in cities across the country, including Hawaii and St. Croix, USVI as well as on each of the 10 military installations where Michaels owns or manages the family housing.
About The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation
The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation is a non-profit affiliate of The Michaels Organization that administers educational scholarship programs open to residents of all affordable and military housing communities owned or managed by companies of The Michaels Organization. Now in its 26th year of awarding scholarships, The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation was the first of its kind in the affordable housing industry when it was established by Michael Levitt in 1991.
Source: The Michaels Organization
