October 2018 | New York, NY – Through the devoted efforts of New York-based charity, Crossing Thresholds, a new primary school will soon be built in honor of RealFoundations. The new school, Community Pillars, will be home to over 250 under-served children in the Kibera Slum (Nairobi, Kenya).
Click image for more info about Crossing Thresholds’ progress in Kibera.
RealFoundations’ CEO and Founder, Chris Shaida, has been serving Crossing Thresholds since its inception in 2008. He and his longtime friend, Charles “Carter” Via, visited Kibera in 2007 and returned home with a commitment to launch a nonprofit that would address the needs of hundreds of thousands of kids out of school. Their main objective was to identify local educators, empower them to open new schools and provide students the opportunity to have a brighter future.
“For nearly 10 years, Chris Shaida served as the Board Chair at Crossing Thresholds. In that role, Chris was an extraordinary advocate for underserved children. He also leveraged the spirit of corporate responsibility at RealFoundations to channel major gifts into the expansion of our projects. His generosity has been unparalleled and has literally touched thousands of young lives.”
— Carter Via, Executive Director, Crossing Thresholds
Crossing Thresholds is embarking upon its next school-building project in January 2019. This will be the fifth primary school in Kibera and will serve students from preschool through upper primary (ages 3-14). The new school will include a library, dining hall, kitchen and computer center, all focused on helping children gain educational, social and practical life skills. According to Mr. Via, “Once completed, the new school will allow another 300+ children to eat, to learn, and to walk forward with more confidence and hope.” On November 10th, 2018 at the Crossing Thresholds Gala in New Canaan, CT, RealFoundations will be officially honored with a pledge to dedicate the school before the end of 2019.
Last month, an initial grant of $75,000 was donated to this initiative, covering half of the estimated $150,000 in expenses for the construction and equipping of the new school. To help Crossing Thresholds meet its goal and put in place the necessary chairs, desks, tables, kitchenware, computers, library books and more, please consider donating to this cause, sponsored by RealFoundations, to build another learning environment for over 300 beautiful young minds.
Donations are accepted online or via check, made out to the below address. Please include “RealFoundations Primary School” in the notes to confirm funds are dedicated to this project.
Crossing Thresholds
168A Irving Avenue
Suite 300K
Port Chester, NY 10573
Connect with Us
To learn more about RealFoundations or this program, contact us by email or +1 214 292 7000.
About Crossing Thresholds
Crossing Thresholds is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating learning opportunities for some of the poorest children in East Africa. Working closely with local grassroots visionaries and educators, Crossing Thresholds has successfully opened 4 primary schools and 1 high school since 2008, providing over 1,200 local children with daily nutrition, emotional support and hope. Their mission is to find dynamic local partners who believe in the power of education.
About RealFoundations
RealFoundations (RF) is the world’s foremost professional services firm focused solely on the real estate industry. Through our delivery of Management Consulting and Managed Services, we help companies that develop, own, operate, service or invest in real estate make better, more profitable decisions. We are proud partners to over 500 real estate companies around the globe, providing accelerated solutions that solve some of real estate’s most complex challenges. We Make Real Estate Run Better.
