Exploring Life & Business with Aaron and Alayna Elam of First Serv Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron and Alayna Elam. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Aaron and Alayna Elam have been married for almost 18 years. We are a purpose-driven unity and have always had a mindset of “how can we help make the world a better place.” Initially drawn to real estate to get into investing, we wanted to get into real estate and investing with a purpose. We did many other philanthropic work in Africa and the Philippines and wanted to bring it to the United States with housing. We learned about shared housing as a real estate investment opportunity. We opened our first home on October 21, 2021, with the intention to house veterans as Aaron is a 12-year veteran of the Air Force. Through housing veterans, we realized the massive, growing homeless crisis around the United States and the need for housing for so many populations. After housing veterans, there was an increase in agencies who reached out to us in search of housing for those who are housing unstable and homeless. We have now expanded our focus to include housing for those who are homeless, transitioning, and recovering at all stages. We have now housed over 70 men, women, and children from all walks of life, including veterans, senior citizens, disabled, those in recovery, and re-entry citizens in transition. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth at all. Initially, the fear of even starting during the COVID pandemic was daunting. We watched the news and heard stories about businesses that already had homes that were having outbreaks due to COVID-19. It was a hurdle we had to overcome. Another obstacle was California’s challenging real estate market. We had to find creative ways to secure funding to purchase housing in the expensive market. Once we purchased a property, it became a challenge to get in contact with the organizations that needed the housing. Despite the immense homeless crisis, the funding allocated to address the crisis doesn’t always reach the frontline workers housing those in need. It’s very challenging to house people who have no job or income but need a new start in life. Finding the funding source to house those in need is still a challenge in this line of work. 

We also began to notice that as you work with the homeless population, their biggest need is housing and food. But, once the basic needs are met, other root issues get exposed. There are so many homeless people with mental health challenges, trauma, the inability to hold a job, drug-related challenges, etc. The First Serv Foundation has expanded its focus to collaborate with other organizations to address these deeper challenges by providing support for jobs, mental health and spiritual services, education, and outpatient rehabilitation. 

We’ve been impressed with FirstServ Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The First Serv Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides holistic, supportive housing for veterans; senior citizens, disabled individuals limited to a fixed income; justice-challenged adults; and other marginalized groups that are experiencing homelessness, in transition, or recovering at various stages of life. 

Our Foundation’s homes encourage holistic (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) wellness through monthly group life coaching/therapy and quarterly workshops such as financial planning and literacy, healthy diet and nutrition, and art therapy. First Serv Foundation is also partnered with many organizations to provide referrals for employment, education, outpatient rehabilitation, food, mental health resources, and spiritual assistance. 

We are proud to say that we started this business with our own money. We have housed over 70 men, women, and children since 2021. It has not been an easy road, but we believe that we have started an amazing organization that has helped humanity and that we believe will be passed down through the legacy of our family. We have so many success stories where we have provided a second chance at life for so many people. The first person that we housed was a homeless man living in a park at the top of the slide. We were able to give him a new start by providing a safe place to live and get back on his feet. Most of the people we have housed previously lived in their car or a hotel. The First Serv Foundation has been able to meet the basic needs of many individuals and families, and provide stability so they could meet their personal goals, however long they were in our home.

Society thinks that homeless people are just the people standing on the side of the freeway with a sign. But there are so many more millions of people who are homeless, living in their cars, taking showers at the local gym, and still showing up to work. These people are invisible to society. The First Serv Foundation gives people an opportunity to be seen, to get on their feet, and to grow. We become family when a lot of people do not have family or are unable to get to their family. We are beyond proud of the people we have been able to serve; however long they were in a First Serv Foundation home, and all the things we have been able to accomplish to help make the world a better place. 

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
There will always be a need for this type of housing and affordable housing in general. We believe that shared housing is the housing of the future. The COVID pandemic highlighted the importance and need for all businesses to have financial plans in place to navigate unforeseen circumstances and to be ready to pivot as the world continues to change. We also established policies and procedures that will continue to keep our homes and the guests that we serve safe and healthy. Ultimately, the shared housing model proved its significance during COVID. Though many challenges persisted, we learned valuable lessons about ourselves and our business as we adapted to all the changes. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://firstservfoundation.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstservfoundation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstservfoundation
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/1firstserv

Image Credits
Aaron Elam