For Ivory Homes and its team, building strong communities throughout Utah is our number one priority. To us, “community” is more than just about where you live. It’s a place where people can come together, be unified and find a sense of belonging. That’s why we are overjoyed when we find out that our residents come together and bond over a common interest and good cause.

On September 11, 2021, Holbrook Farms community member Becky Naisbit had the opportunity of organizing a community service project that would bring people together and honor the sacrifice of those who gave their lives on 9/11. When asked about her motivation for planning the event, she said, “There’s just so much need in the world right now. On a National Day of Remembrance, we wanted to do our part and make a difference.” The project, organized through JustServe.org - a resource that links communities and volunteers to opportunities to serve and help those in need, was to create kits for refugees in Turkey, Greece, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Somalia, and Tanzania. The kits were backpacks filled with donated notebooks, papers, pencils, crayons, scissors, and other school supplies, along with index cards that included personal and heartfelt messages.

Given that the COVID-19 Pandemic has dominated our lives over the past year, there was a bit of worry about how many community members would participate in the event. “With covid, it’s been so hard to feel like we can come together. With rising numbers, I was a little nervous that not too many people would come,” said Becky.

It was a pleasant surprise for all when over 450 community volunteers showed up to help with the event at the Military Academy located in Holbrook Farms. So many people came that they canceled the second half of the event due to a shortage of backpacks and supplies. “They were going so fast! We had to tell them to slow down!” she exclaimed. After a total of 718.5 hours of volunteer time spent on the whole project, 1373 backpack kits were completed and loaded on a truck that would ship them off.

The whole project was beautiful to see and be a part of. Children, teachers, parents, and others came together from all over the Holbrook Farms community and participated in a cause that was making all the difference.

“People were just so eager to help and to donate. I was grateful to be a part of it. We love our neighbors, and we wanted [the project] to be in the community so that we can create a neighborhood where people will come together and feel unified and take care of each other, especially during COVID,” shared Naisbitt. “We love living here, and we’ve made life-long friends already. Everyone is trying to meet everyone, and we are trying to keep everyone involved and feeling invited.

Brooke Pagano-Laulu, the lifestyle and events manager for Ivory Homes, shared that “Becky Naisbitt is an outstanding resident of Holbrook Farms. She is always volunteering for neighborhood committees, attending community events, and is always there to help support community members and get them involved. This is the sense of community we are looking for. This is what we envision our Ivory communities to look and feel like when we develop them. This is the ‘Ivory lifestyle’ that sets them apart from others.”

We are grateful to have been able to be a part of this amazing project.