Our First Team Huntington Beach Seacliff Office has supported local charity, Robyne’s Nest, for over six years. Providing resources, funds, and support to the city’s at-risk and homeless high school students in the Huntington Beach High School District, Robyne’s Nest takes a hands-on approach to help young adults learn the skills the succeed.
It all started when local mom Robyne Wood noticed that children in school with her kids were going hungry due to a lack of support at home. She started bringing snacks for students when she picked up her kids from middle school and extended her reach by developing a liaison with the Huntington Beach Union High School District.
Helping students designated as in need by the VP of Supervision at each high school who have the drive and the will to follow through, she is able to provide everything from education to transportation and food, helping students graduate, apply for college, and secure jobs. Her organization’s proactive and educational approach helps maturing teens get on a good, strong path to become self-sustaining, productive members of our community through a variety of classes in financial assistance, basic needs, living resources, and life skills.
Office liaison Karen Branoff has long been a supporter of Robyne’s Nest and now helps organize monthly outreach efforts including hosting food drives, gift card collections, and more. She and her husband Tim are top-producing luxury agents within the area who love giving back to the community through a variety of different charities and organizations.
“I love working with Robyne because she is a local mom who is dedicated to bettering these young adults, who are from our neighborhoods, who would otherwise fall through the cracks in our society. I first met Robyne six years ago when I was working with special needs students at Fountain Valley High School. Some of my students were also Robyne’s students and that’s when I learned about the work she does. I watched her in the trenches, face to face, with these high schoolers,” describes Karen.
“When I learned that our Seacliff office had a connection with Robyne’s Nest as a drop-off point for donations, I immediately worked to get her name out to the other agents in our office and I haven’t stopped since.”
The office has participated in numerous fundraisers over the years, several in conjunction with the Women’s Council of Realtors Coastal-West Orange County, and most recently a Baseball Tournament.
As advocates and ambassadors for Robyne’s students and the mission of supporting the underserved, the philanthropic spirit of the entire First Team Seacliff office shines through in their continued commitment to serving all members of the community. “Supporting this organization has made us all better people,” says Karen. “You have to ‘give to live’ and supporting a true angel like Robyne gives all of us perspective.”
