Twelve passionate Quicken Loans team members from our Cleveland office spent a cold winter’s night spreading compassion at Pearl Road United Methodist Church last week.

The group pitched in to help feed the homeless and the working poor at the church. Many of the volunteers expressed how much they enjoyed reaching out in their community.

Volunteer Quicken Loans mortgage banker Michael Santora said, “I have been searching for an opportunity to do something just like this!” The Community DIFF team is proud of the way that Cleveland team members are willing to spend their time coming together to help make a difference.

Quicken Loans and its family of companies is supporting disaster relief efforts for the people of Haiti devastated by the recent earthquake. Following the news of the disaster, concerned Team Members immediately began asking how they could contribute to the cause. We are working with two of our valued partners to help with the effort, Samaritan Feet and the American Red Cross. With the help of a corporate donation, Samaritan Feet will be shipping up to 10,000 pairs of new shoes to provide relief to the children. Funds raised by team members through a payroll deduct campaign, jeans days, other fundraisers will be matched by Quicken Loans to support the American Red Cross’ Disaster Relief efforts for Haiti. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone who has been affected by this devastation.

To find out how you can help with disaster relief efforts, click on the following link which will take you to the American Red Cross page.

W Kemp

Team members from Quicken Loans and Fathead.com spent the morning with students from Cornerstone School. The day was filled with class projects, sharing, and of course smiles.

By Aaron Emerson

If there are two things Quicken Loans team members love, it is eating and making a difference in the community.  That is why our recent Chili Cook-off was the ideal fundraiser to benefit the Detroit-based THAW  (The Heat and Warmth Fund).  Thaw is an independent, non-profit agency that provides low-income individuals and families with emergency energy assistance – a service in dire need during the cold Michigan winters!

Members of Quicken Loans’ IT and Marketing teams whipped up crock-pots full of their favorite chili recipes.  In total, there were more than 15 different batches of chili to choose from and sample, for only a $5 entrance fee.  But this was more than an opportunity to overindulge on chili…it was also a competition.  Each batch of chili was judged by a distinguished panel of chili connoisseurs --  and the king of chili was crowned.

While Rob Smith on our IT team has bragging rights as the King of all things chili, the real winner from our event are the 9,000 families that receive aid and assistance from THAW each year.

By Aaron Emerson

Every November, many of us take pause to think about the many ways we have been blessed throughout the year.  This year, several teams from Quicken Loans kicked it up a notch and actually took part in spreading some cheer.

Our company has been volunteering with Lighthouse of Oakland for more than four years helping with their Thanksgiving food basket program. This year was a little different – Quicken Loans team members volunteered over a three-day span, working to  sort food and create Thanksgiving dinner boxes for seniors and families that needed a little help this holiday season.

After the food was sorted, my team (marketing and some friends from IT) stepped up to help distribute the items.  As families entered the distribution center, we would gather their supplies, along with a large frozen turke, and help load them into their cars.  The charity also discovered the need was even greater than they expected, so our team also kicked in and helped stuff an additional 120 boxes. 

 I think that I can speak for every Quicken Loans team member who volunteered when I say it was truly rewarding to be part of helping make someone else’s Thanksgiving a little brighter, and to see their gratitude for the help.

To view footage please click here for our you tube video or to see pictures click here!

By: Victoria Araj

In the United States, breast cancer occurs in one out of eight women and affects men as well.  In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Quicken Loans held a special Awareness Day on Oct. 29 in the Michigan and Cleveland offices.

Team members were able to purchase pink ribbons and pins with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.  In addition, the Human Resources Team created an internal Web site giving team members access to information about cancer clinical trials, statistics and resource materials from assistance groups in both Michigan and Ohio.

By Wendy Kemp

We are all excited by the wonderfully warm weather we are having right now, but just last week we had temperatures that were well below zero. Can you imagine living outdoors in the bitter cold and not having a warm home to go to?

As I prepared to partner with the Southeastern Michigan Red Cross for their Blanket Days event, I thought about the importance of a blanket. My favorite way to relax at home in the winter is with my favorite blanket reading on the couch or watching TV. Think about all times we use a blanket and how things would be different if we didn’t have one…we wrap our new born babies in blankets, we bring our puppy home in a blanket, or pets have their favorite blanket and I have even on occasion seen teenagers drag a blanket around. Who can forget the lovable Peanut’s character, Linus, who taught all of us that a blanket is more than just a blanket.

During January and February of this year we have had some bone chilling weather, which made our support of Red Cross’ Blanket Day’s program seem even more vital to the well being of the community.

Last month we transformed the Quicken Loans lobby into display area for the Red Cross Blanket Days program, 96.3 the River radio station was on hand to play music, the Red Cross Hummer and Emergency Response Vehicle were out front and Fox 2 broadcast in the morning that we would be collecting blankets at the Quicken Loans office to help shelters though out southeastern Michigan. By the end of the day Quicken Loans and Fathead team members, along with some wonderful people from the community, had donated more than $1,500 and collected almost 200 blankets to support the Red Cross’ disaster relief program and area shelters. Not too bad for a day that did not reach over 17 degrees.

by Victoria Araj

On Saturday, several Quicken Loans team members made their way to the Gleaners Food Bank in Taylor.  Carrie Cabrera brought her son and Jennifer Jones brought her uncle to help and be honorary team members for a day! When we arrived, we were excited to see that there were volunteers from other organizations as well as a local family that visits on occasion to help whenever they can. 

We broke up in groups and sorted bins of food and placed them in boxes according to date. Our Quicken Loans team decided to form an assembly-line process which the other groups emulated-- this allowed us to really make a difference in the time we were there.  Some of the other groups had young children with them and they hopped into the bins to hand us the food!