Apartments.com Invites America to "Like" Them to Help End Homelessness

CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Apartments.com gives back to the community by kicking off a campaign to help end homelessness in their hometown of Chicago. Effective today, Apartments.com will donate $1 to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless—up to a maximum of $25,000—for every new "LIKE" it receives on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Apartments.com), during the month of November. The Chicago-based advocacy group was selected as the beneficiary of this inaugural campaign as the leading voice for the homeless in the city of Chicago, where Apartments.com is headquartered. Dubbed "Raising Awareness. Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness," Apartments.com has designed the initiative to generate nationwide participation and help bring greater attention to this widespread issue across America, where it is estimated 3.5 million people each year experience homelessness(1).

"Apartments.com helps hundreds of thousands of people find homes in apartments every year," states Kevin Doyle, general manager of Apartments.com. "We believe having a roof over your head is a fundamental human need and as such want to do our small part to help alleviate the burden of homelessness and get involved in a cause that hits close to home."

Last year it was estimated that the city of Chicago had 100,000 homeless people(2), and recent statistics from the Chicago Public Schools report more than 10,000 students experiencing homelessness already this school year.

Doyle continues, "There is significant need locally and nationally, so while we are donating this year to a Chicago-based organization, we believe engaging people through social media will help increase awareness about the issues facing homeless individuals and families and enable our Facebook fans and followers across the country to feel good about clicking the 'like' button to help out."

"We are very excited that Apartments.com is joining us in our work to end homelessness," states Ed Shurna, executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. "This campaign demonstrates that to truly make a difference you need a lot of people to chip in. Widespread support is what will make this campaign successful and it is also what will carry the day in the fight against extreme poverty."

The Apartments.com campaign, "Raising Awareness. Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness"  joins other high-profile efforts—including National Homeless Youth Awareness Month and National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week—during the month of November, to heighten visibility and bring in funds to benefit organizations that advocate for and serve the homeless.  

"Thanksgiving is a time when people generally reflect on what they are grateful for in their own lives. We wanted to embrace this season and the spirit of giving to those less fortunate by creating our campaign to help end homelessness," states Susan Bryant, vice president of marketing for Apartments.com. "It is important to us as an organization to make a difference in the communities where we live and work. Being able to support the important work being done by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, even in a small part, is something we are proud to be able to do at every level of our company."

Apartments.com is making a $1 donation per "LIKE" that they receive on their Facebook page on behalf of the people who participate between November 1- 30, 2011, up to a maximum of $25,000. Participants are not required to make any financial contribution, just simply visit (http://www.facebook.com/Apartments.com) and click "LIKE" before November 30, 2011 to have $1 donated on their behalf to help end homelessness.  

About Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is a non-profit organization that works with people hurt by homelessness. Guided by its belief that housing is a human right in a just society, the coalition seeks to prevent and end homelessness by addressing its root causes. Its community organizers offer monthly outreach at more than 20 emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities across Chicago—reaching out to mothers with children, unaccompanied youths, children and teens struggling to access public schools, ex-offenders and low-wage workers. For more information or to donate to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, visit their website www.chicagohomeless.org.

About Apartments.com

Apartments.com (http://www.apartments.com) is a leading national apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique addresses representing millions of rental units from managed properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. By incorporating the most relevant products to reach renters including personalized searches and highly visual ads featuring live chat, real-time rent, online video walk-through demonstrations, professional photography, a mobile website and iPhone app, Apartments.com creates easy access to its listings. Providing unmatched exposure to its advertisers through an intuitive name, strategic search engine placements, featured partnerships including Yahoo! Real Estate, Univision and more than 120 newspaper websites and innovative emerging media, Apartments.com reaches millions of renters nationwide, driving both qualified traffic and highly-engaged renters to leasing offices nationwide. Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC. The Apartments.com network of apartment rental websites includes Apartment Home Living (http://www.ApartmentHomeLiving.com), a leading social media apartment website distinguished by a "live for fun" community experience, proprietary lifestyle matching and local living guides to help renters find their perfect place to live.

(1) National Coalition for the Homeless, www.nationalhomeless.org

(2) Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

SOURCE Apartments.com