Last week, Westend Properties and its managing partner, Gencom, were extremely pleased to hold a Charity Furniture Giveaway for the benefit of the local Bermuda community. Through this event, furniture that is no longer needed at the Fairmont Southampton hotel – given the impending renovations – was donated to charitable organisations.
Thanks to this heartening initiative, various furniture items, including beds, chairs, sofas and desks, were distributed to more than 50 local charities, rest homes and churches, underscoring Gencom’s commitment to both maintaining sustainable practices and providing meaningful community support.
“The recent Charity Furniture Giveaway highlights Gencom’s ongoing dedication to making a positive difference in Bermuda where we’ve been invested since 2017. We consistently strive to be a responsible corporate citizen and this event is further proof of our commitment to Bermuda and Bermudians. We were thrilled to be able to give back to the local community and people in need,” said Alessandro Colantonio, Chief Investment Officer at Gencom.
Family Centre was one of the charitable organisations that benefited from the Charity Furniture Giveaway. “The items Family Centre received from the Fairmont Southampton made it possible for four client families to completely furnish their home,” said Thania Redman, Family Centre’s Relationship Development Director. “Without this type of goodwill and charitable giving, they would be living without essential items that the community may take for granted as every home’s basic needs.
“Family Centre and our clients are grateful for this incredible opportunity. I cannot verbalise our excitement in seeing families receive items that will help them have one less worry or stressor on their journey to heal and to have hope for a brighter future. To date, more than 10 families have benefited from this wonderful initiative.”
The local Habitat for Humanity also took advantage of the furniture giveaway. “We were so fortunate to receive enough furniture to fill five living rooms and bedrooms,” said Sheelagh Cooper, the chairwoman of Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda. She went on to explain that any pieces that aren’t sold or given away at the organisation’sstore will be used at a new residential centre at Somerset Bridge which will provide housing and care to patients with long-term mental health conditions.m
“Habitat for Humanity is hugely grateful to the Fairmont Southampton for this generous donation,” she continued. “We are among several charities who benefitted enormously from these donations, all of whom are very grateful.”
Gencom plans to extend this opportunity to the broader Bermuda community. Beginning January 23, 2024, all residents of Bermuda will have access to any remaining furniture, ensuring that nothing goes to waste and that the initiative benefits as many locals as possible. Additional information will be available on the Fairmont Southampton website and social media platforms.
“This event was a meaningful first step in getting the Southampton redevelopment kicked off in earnest,following our announcement in mid-December,” Mr. Colantonio continued. “Given the complexities of this project, we want to be deliberate in our approach, ensuring we proceed thoughtfully with the mobilisation. We look forward to sharing further details in the upcoming weeks about next steps in the much-anticipated renovations of the hotel and Beach Club.”
About Gencom and Westend Properties Limited
Westend Properties Limited is an affiliate of Gencom, an industry-leading hospitality real estate investment and development firm based in Miami. The Gencom affiliate acquired Westend Properties in 2019 in connection with the purchase of the Fairmont Southampton. In addition to building a reputation for successfully delivering on its development projects, Gencom is an innovator, partnering with leading luxury hospitality brands to co-develop and construct some of the first luxury condo-hotel rental models which have become ubiquitous in the hospitality industry today. The company has emerged as a leader through its development and ownership of Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Rosewood properties around the world.
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