MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. – October 17, 2005 – When MILA executives first learned of the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina and later of Rita, they knew that their associates would be eager to help. In order to stretch those dollars, Layne Sapp, founder and CEO, decreed September “Hurricane Relief Month” and the company matched each employee’s contribution 100 percent.
“This catastrophe hit home for us,” explained Sapp, “as we are in the business of enabling people, often first-time home buyers, the dream of home ownership. Seeing those images of that dream being washed away for tens of thousands of Americans truly inspired our entire organization to focus its ongoing charitable efforts on those suffering the aftermath of both hurricanes.”
MILA Inc. has a culture of charitable giving, primarily focused on immediate community needs. From MILA Cup Bowling Leagues created by associates to pay for fresh paint and carpet for a local YWCA apartment building to a “cubicle roaming lemonade stand” developed by Layne Sapp’s son, Colin, to raise money for the Forgotten Children’s Fund – there are myriad ways that MILA gets involved with local charities.
Its primary charity-of-choice for the past two years has been Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center to which the company has donated a total of $250,000. Ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report and Child magazines, Children's serves as the pediatric referral center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. As the recipient of MILA’s largest charitable contribution, Children’s underscores the company’s passion for helping those in need throughout the region as well as those in the backyard of its Mountlake Terrace headquarters.
While September’s Hurricane Relief effort was one of the few times MILA’s charitable giving stretched beyond the community and region, the ties to the wholesale mortgage lender’s foundational premise that a home should be an opportunity for everyone, made it a necessary exception. The matching program directed associates to focus their donations to one of five charities to receive the 100 percent match including: American Red Cross, World Vision, Salvation Army, AmeriCares and MercyCorps. By the close of the month, MILA associates donated $7,920 for a total with the match of nearly $16,000 for victims of both hurricanes.
About MILA Inc.
MILA, Inc. is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce mortgage solution providers in the nation currently serving the wholesale residential market in 26 states with a broad range of alternative mortgage lending products. Financial strength, management stability, and proprietary, cutting-edge technology give MILA the ability to meet the challenges of the ever-changing mortgage lending market and to anticipate market trends. For more information visit www.mila.com. |
Press Releases 