We are Committed to Staying Active in Our Community

Voyage Spreads Holiday Joy to the Children of the Sacramento Receiving Home 

Spreading the joy of the holiday season to the children of the Sacramento Receiving Home was one of the highlights of the year for Voyage employees. 20 Voyage employees purchased gifts for the children's angel wishes throughout December, granting their indiviudal wishes for items like toys, clothing, gift certificates and entertainment systems. Voyage also partnered with HP Supply who contributed gifts for 10 more children. 

The Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento houses abused and neglected children for an average of 35 to 40 days. According to the Receiving Home website, the children are housed and given any necessary health services, food, clothing, and interactive activities during their stay. For many of the children and families, the Receiving Home acts as a positive turning point for a brighter future.

Voyage employees were overjoyed they could give to the Receiving Home kids this holiday season and hope they helped create a bright and merry Christmas for them.

 18th Annual Run to Feed the Hungry a Huge Success for Sacramento, Voyage Team Goodness

For many Sacramentans, the Thanksgiving morning run/walk, Run to Feed the Hungry, is a holiday tradition as well-loved as pumpkin pie. For the past 18 years, the event has brought out the young and old who all want to help individuals and families in need. All proceeds from the event benefits the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. According to the organization, they can provide emergency food and services to nearly 15,000 underserved individuals throughout the community. Sacramento Food Bank & Family services also provides a range of free services, from literacy to parenting and education.

On Thanksgiving morning, in the rain and cold, a team of Voyage Team Goodness members joined over 26,000 participants for the race. Starting at California State University, Sacramento and weaving throughout an east Sacramento neighborhood, the 5K and 10K race featured turkeys, feathers, and team colors. For many, Thanksgiving is a much sweeter day when you start it out giving back to your community. Great work, Voyagers!

Voyage's Plant-a-Tree Event Plants Hundreds of Indigenous Trees in Vermont

Fall trees and colors are one of life's greatest splendors and in an effort to increase the bounty and benefits they offer, Voyage create the Plant-A-Tree promotion in October. For every loan started throughout the month with Voyage, one tree was planted through our partner, Plant-It 2020, in Vermont. After the destruction and flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Voyage wanted to contribute new landscape improvements.

Voyage planted over 600 trees in Vermont in October. Plant-It 2020 is a non-profit organization whose mission is to reforest multiple countries by planting indigenous trees in non-harvested areas around the world. These trees will help prevent or reduce soil erosion, and soil, water, and air pollution. They will also bring denuded forests back to life and help reduce global warming.

Voyage Supports Homeowners, California Realtors through Sponsorship of the Bowling for the American Dream Event

Voyage sponsored the fourth annual Sacramento Association of Realtor’s “Bowling for the American Dream” event Saturday, September 17th. The event featuredSAR and industry professionals in a bowling tournament to support the California Association of Realtors Housing Affordability Fund. The fund, created in November 2002, is dedicated to assisting new homeowners purchase a home. According to C.A.R.s website, the fund was established to provide more options for first time homebuyers’ entry into homeownership during this affordability crisis that is rocking California’s housing market.

All proceeds raised from the event will benefit the C.A.R.s Affordability Housing Fund. The company believes the event offers an opportunity to build stronger industry connections that can ultimately help homeowners obtain their American dream—owning a home. 

Voyage Hosts Second Annual Pint-for-Pint  Blood Drive with BloodSource

Voayge Home Loans hosted their second annual “Pint for Pint” blood drive with BloodSource, a northern and central California blood bank, at Voyage’s Sacramento headquarters on July 18.

According to BloodSource, one pint of blood can save three lives and a teaspoon of blood can save a baby’s life. The summer months present a greater need because accidents are higher and about one in seven hospitals need blood on a consistent basis.

Bloodsource’s Blood Mobile was parked at Voyage’s Placer Lane headquarters from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All donors received a coupon for a free pint of Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream as participants of the“Pint for a Pint” program.

Voyage Honors the First Day of Summer with Donations to the Women and Children of St. John's Shelter

Donations of towels, clothes, swimsuits, bath and laundry products were given to the St. John's shelter  Tuesday, June 21. Voyage wanted to ensure that the shelter families would be able to relish in the joy of summer with basic necessities.

St. John’s Shelter Program for Women and Children is the only shelter in Sacramento that exclusively supports homeless women with children. Up to 100 women and their children can be admitted to the shelter’s 90-day program where they receive various services, including schooling, counseling, and a safe environment for their advancement into self-sufficiency.

Voyage diligently strives to make a difference in people’s lives through monthly charitable endeavors and community outreach events. Voyage employees have shown tremendous support for the women and children of St. John’s shelter through their donation contributions.

Sacramento's Race for the Cure a Huge Success for Voyage TeamGoodness

Voyage TeamGoodness participated in the Race for the Cure Saturday, May 7th at Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif. Joining in with over 20,000 people, Voyage employees walked and ran a 5K in support for cancer research and free cancer screenings in the Sacramento Valley area. Voyage employees raised $1420 toward the cause.

The event started at 7 am with team pictures and Zumba-dancing as a pre-walk warm-up. KCRA's SkyCopter 3 notified the MC's that there were still a lot of people heading to the race so the original start time of 7:25 am was pushed back to 8 am. Race participants Corinne Blackney, Trina Kimbrell and Chris Kay started out on their timed 5K at 7:30 am. They finished in 37 minutes. (Way to go!).

Voyage 5K walk participants, Carol Wheeler, Nick Lucia, Katrina Silberstein, Maryka Spyksma, Andrew Russell, Carly and John Harrington, and Lovey Zielke, started out on the walk at 8 am and crossed the finish line at 9:30 am. The walk was a leisurely stroll due to the amount of people participating in the event.

This was the second year Voyage participated in the event. Voayge TeamGoodness hopes to start fundraising for the next Susan G. Komen Race in January 2012.

Voyage Employee Corinne Blackney Raises $850 for the Race for the Cure

"A lot of my family donated because we have lost one aunt to the disease and have both a cousin and an aunt who are survivors of breast cancer," said Blackney. "This cause has affected me personally and means a lot to me and my family. It's important to donate toward the grants and research that the Komen Foundation provides."

Saturday also marks another milestone for Blackney. She plans on running the timed-5K for the first time.

"I am very nervous," said Blackney. "I used to run 8 miles a day when I was younger but I quit running. I plan on relying on both my drive for the cause and my competitive nature to get through the course."

Visit the Voyage TeamGoodness page or make a donation, here.

Sacramento mortgage company Voyage Home Loans's employees donated multiple E-Waste items, like old cell phones, computer towers, monitors and electrical wires, to Pony Express Elementary school’s drop off recycling event on Saturday, April 30. According to a PTA member at the event, the funds from Satruday's donations will help the school pay for supplies and books.

E-waste has been an increasing concern for the municipal waste system, according to the EPA. There are multiple toxins in old electronics, like lead, barium and mercury, which can be extremely harmful if they enter the water system. When e-waste is discarded in the average landfill, they can release these harmful toxins and cause multiple health risks including damage to the human nervous, respiratory and endocrine systems. To learn more about e-waste and e-cycling, visit the EPA's website, here.

As Sacramento's only Green Mortgage Company, Voyage supports the communty's sustainable efforts. In addition to donating to Green endeavors in the community, Voyage is also an active participant and partner with the Sacramento Tree Foundation. For more information about Voyage's green stance, go here.

Voyage Charity Mini-golf Tournament Support B.D.K. Foundation

For the month of February, Voyage wanted to help support the students of the charity foundation, Believing. Doing. Knowing (B.D.K.) in Orange County, Calif.

The non-profit organization provides a path to education, leadership and a future for many underserved kids and its principles are ""believing in oneself builds confidence, doing whatever it takes develops an improvement in character, and knowing one’s success is a powerful insight for the youth to realize that their lives are significant." Some of B.D.K.'s students are previous runaways, others are reformed gang members and some are from impoverished or low-income families. They are inspired to create a better tomorrow for themselves and their neighborhoods.

In response, Voyage Team Goodness came up with the idea of a Charity Mini-Golf Tournament where all proceeds raised would be donated to B.D.K. The tournament was held on Wednesday, March 9th at Scandia Family Fun Center in Sacramento, Calif. Teams of two played one other team of two at each hole and participant donated $5 to play and each hole-in-one was a $2 donation from the opposing team.

The two hour event raised $125 for the B.D.K. Foundation. Voyage employees also donated business shirts and ties, as B.D.K. adheres to a dress-code for all their students.

Visit B.D.K for more information on their mission and see more pictures of the event, here.

Voyage Excellence Award Goes to Nonie Reyes Small

Voyage Team Goodness is proud to honor Voyage Mortgage Specialist Rita Reyes’s seventh grade daughter, Nonie Reyes Small, with the Voyage Excellence Award for her astounding show of leadership, outstanding grades, and community involvement.

Not only has Nonie held a 4.0 for the last two years, but she has been the Student Council Vice President and is currently the Student Council President. In addition, she has been awarded the Presidential Accomplishment Academic Award, the All-Around -Great Citizen Award, and was recently awarded for her involvement in the Wrestling Team.

Voyage hosted a barbecue on Friday, January 21st for Nonie. The company and Nonie enjoyed a carne asada taco bar in unseasonably warm weather outside of Voyage’s headquarters. The event was concluded with a speech and award presentation by company COO Josh Harmatz.

Voyage Employees Volunteer for Week of Helping the Homeless in Rancho Cordova

Voyage Team Goodness donated hundreds of dollars worth of non-perishable goods and volunteered their time to Capital Christian Center's homeless outreach event, "Port in a Storm," during the week of Dec. 19 to Dec. 25.

As record breaking rain and temperatures hit the Sacramento area in November and December, many of the area’s homeless found themselves with no place to sleep in the overfull shelters. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson launched a community shelter program for the winter that focuses on local businesses, non-profits and religious organization’s offering the Sacramento homeless a refuge from the elements from November 2010 to March 2011.

Capital Christian Center in Rancho Cordova's event provided up to 150 homeless with dinner and breakfast, showers, a bed, games, movies and more. Voyage volunteered throughout the week by helping set up all accomodations and playing card and board games.

"As a company, we put a tremendous amount of energy into community outreach, especially in the areas that need it the most,” said Josh Harmatz, Voyage Chief Operations Officer. “There is no greater direct impact on those that truly need it, such as the homeless, than donating our time, friendship, and conversation. We are honored to be part of Capital Christian’s week long effort to house the homeless. Opportunities like this help to make the holiday season that much richer when you can spread goodwill in person."

Holiday Run for the Youth

Voyage Home Loans Team Goodness participated in the second annual Police Activities League’s Holiday Run for the Youth on Saturday, December 11 at 9 am in Rancho Cordova’s Village Green.

The event included a 1.5 K for kids and a 5K and 10K run/walk through the neighborhoods of Rancho with over 500 people coming out to support Rancho’s PAL programs. Santa handed out candy canes and new toy donations filled patrol cars. The Holiday Run event proceeds will help the PAL continue to offer free activities and programs to the youth of Rancho Cordova and the toy donations from the toy drive will go to underprivileged children and youth in the Rancho Cordova area prior to the holidays.

Team Goodness raised hundreds of dollars for toy donations and firmly supports the mission of the PAL organization. PAL is a youth crime prevention program that utilizes educational, athletic, and recreational activities to create a strong relationship between community youth and police officers.

Voyage Home Loans Donates School Supplies to Freeport Elementary School

Voyage Home Loans raised $480 worth of school supplies for the third grade students of Freeport Elementary School of Sacramento. On Friday, September 10, Voyage delivered the supplies to the 60 third graders. Each student received a binder and a goody bag full of school supplies, which included scissors, colored pencils, crayons, watercolor sets, a highlighter, a glue stick, a ruler, four pencils and four erasers. Voyage Team Goodness also provided each of the three third grade classrooms with notebook paper, copy paper, colored paper, tissues, and alcohol-free hand sanitizer.

“It was wonderful! The students were very surprised when they were given their very own bag of supplies,” said Freeport Elementary Principal Amy Whitten. “They were thrilled. We thank Voyage so much for coming by the school with the donation.”

Voyage and BloodSource: Saving Lives One Pint at a Time

Voyage Team Goodness held a blood drive at Voyage's corporate office Thursday, July 8 with BloodSource. The BloodSource bloodmobile collect blood donations from 9 am to 1:30pm. Voyage employees and other individuals from the adjacent business complex took time out of their day to donate. At the end of the day, 29 people came to donate and 27 were able to give blood. Each volunteer recieved an ice cream coupon, "Pint for a Pint". According to BloodSource, each pint of blood is enough to save 2 lives. In total, 54 lives can be saved from our donation.

"You brought in 29 people and we collected 27 life saving pints which was AWESOME!!" said Ashley Rebholtz, BloodSource representative. "You even motivated 20 brand new donors to come and give which was so wonderful!"

Voyage Launches New Program to Honor Outstanding Achievers

"The Voyage Excellence Award" is a new program that Voyage started June 2010 that recognizes children with outstanding community achievements. The program awards a local child quarterly for their accomplishments in community, education, and sports.

Voyage employees can nominate a child of their choice by submitting the child's name, along with documentation that showcases the child's achievements such as awards, report cards, and photos at community events the child has been or is currently involved in. Their outstanding achievements include, but are not limited to, involvement in charity and volunteerism, excellence in education, and extraordinary talents in sports. The child who is chosen will receive an event in their name, press release with photo and a check for $50.

June's honoree was Trevon "Tre" Lockwood, son of Voyage Loan Processor Courtney Hribal. Tre was elected for his excellence in maintaining high grades while participating in numerous extra curricular activities. He is a member of the National Elementary Honors Society and was given an award and a fifty dollar savings bond by the Men of Mason’s Lodge. Trevon plays baseball, soccer, and basketball throughout the school year. Last year, Tre scored 600 out of 600 in the math category and advanced in every other category on his STARR testing at school.

Voyage hosted a barbecue on Friday, June 25, 2010 for Trevon. The company, Tre, and his mother, enjoyed a carne asada taco bar outside in the great weather. The event was concluded with a speech and award presentation by company CEO Josh Harmatz.

Voyage Races for the Cure

Voyage Home Loans joined thousands in Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure, Saturday, May 8, at Cal Expo in Sacramento. Voyage created a team that consisted of 20 employees, and their family members, to form #TeamGoodness.

The event started at 8 am, with #TeamVoyage participating in the 5K walk/run. The excitement of the event was palpable, as local radio stations, cheerleading squads, volunteers, and participants melded together to voice their support for “finding the cure,” in one of the largest cancer events in the nation.

Voyage raised and contributed about $1800 toward the fight against breast cancer.

Earth Day Celebration in Sacramento

Voyage Team Goodness volunteered their time Sunday, April 11 at Sacramento's Earth Day event in Southside Park. Voyage Team members Joe Bria, Jenny Dodson, Paul Thomas, Maryka Spyksma, AJ Jackson, Tenisha McKibben and Carol Wheeler braved the rain and wind to help set up the event, and assist in vendor coordinating.

Voyage Home Loans is Sacramento's only Sustainable Mortgage company and its employees actively participate in various endeavors to help the environment, and the planet.

Angelwish and Voyage Team Goodness's Giving Spree

Voyage Home Loans partnered with Angelwish, an international non-profit organization, to bring some joy to the lives of kids living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Together, we put together a giving spree, where local Sacramento children and Voyage employees bought $3,200 worth of toys, books, games, and other gifts for the Angelwish children.

The children involved participated in an essay writing contest where they answered the question, "describe the perfect day for you and a sick friend. What would you do?" The winning essayist, Aiden Sacco, 8, of Newcastle, Calif. said he would skip all the fun things he does in his life for his sick friend, and "give that person so much that they might not die!!"

Aiden, and the Giving Spree, was featured on Fox 40's morning show, Friday, March 5, with the giving spree taking place at G. Willikers Toy Emporium at Saturday, March 6. This was made possible through the generous contributions of Voyage employees, whose donations were matched by the company.

Voyage Team Goodness Bowls for the Big Brother Big Sisters of Sacramento

Voyage Team Goodness participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sacramento's 2010 Bowl for Kid’s Sake February 27. Voyage Mortgage Specialist Kal Patel rallied the company to participate in the event, after he became involved with the BBBS. He felt that the organization's mentoring programs were outstanding and employed the help of his fellow co-workers in raising money for BBBS.

Team Goodness members, Kal Patel , Joe Bria, Sammy Haider, and Ryan Lucia helped the BBBS raise a total of nearly $50,000 overall at the event, and ended up winning the award for Best Costume for their “We <3 Goodness” t-shirts from the BBBS's contest.

“I feel that every young person needs a mentor, and this organization provides this for young children in need," Patel said. "The ‘Bowl for Kids’ Sake’ event really gave us a fun way to contribute to a fantastic cause."

Voyage Home Loans Helps Support Victims of the Haiti Earthquakes

Deeply affected by the extensive damage and tragedy Haitians were undergoing from the 7.0 earthquake in January inspired Voyage Home Loan employees to form an in-house contribution drive. Voyage raised $800 and contributed it to the fundraiser for Haiti that a local radio station, 107.9 "The End," conducted. All donations collected by "The End" were given to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"We were glad to help out," Carly Harrington, Voyage employee, said. "Doing all we can to help those in need is something that we believe in at Voyage, both in our personal lives and in the workplace."

Voyage Home Loans Adopts a Family

Voyage Home Loans spread joy and goodwill by adopting a family for the holidays. Voyage employees contributed $680 to buy bedding, grocery certificates, and both new and used clothing, toys, books and games. The mother and her eleven children, ranging from one to nineteen years old, were thrilled when a group of employees delivered numerous gifts to their Rancho Cordova home on Christmas Eve. It was a magnificent day filled with delight for the family and Voyage!

Voyage Team Goodness Participates in the Holiday Run for the Youth in Rancho Cordova

Voyage Home Loans took part in the Rancho Cordova Police Activities League holiday event on December 12, which consisted of a toy drive and a race. Dozens of toys were provided for the Toy Drive by Voyage employees. Mortgage Specialist Rita Reyes, and her children, were just a few of the hundreds of participants in the Holiday Run for the Holidays. Even with wind and rain, the day was a complete success.

Run to Feed the Hungry!

As the mortgage company that is good to the community, its employees and its customers, Voyage owners and staff participated in the 16th annual “Run to Feed the Hungry” Thanksgiving morning.

The timed or untimed 5K-10K race for a good cause was held from 8 am to finish, starting at California State University, Sacramento, and continuing through the neighborhoods that adjoin the campus.

As the largest Thanksgiving race in the nation, the event drew at least 29,000 people this year.
Voyage employees said the massive turnout, where dodging runners and walkers became part of the course, and the festive atmosphere of musicians and turkey-adorned individuals were some of the best aspects of the event. They were all proud to participate as members of Voyage’s “Team Goodness.”

All proceeds from the race, including food donations, benefit the Food Bank of Sacramento.

Plant-A-Tree with Sacramento Tree Foundation

Voyage Home Loans helped plant 245 trees on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, in Discovery Park, Sacramento.
It was a beautiful fall day, and by noon it was almost 80 degrees! We're "Rooting for Trees" as a member of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, and will be helping them reach their goal of planting 5 million trees by 2025!

Voyage is awarded an A+ Employers Award

Voyage Home Loans earned an A+ Employers Award from the Sacramento Business Journal for being a top employer to work for in Sacramento, in the small business category, October 2009. More...

Painting for Miracles

Fundraising art event for UC Davis Children's Hospital
Voyage Home Loans sponsored the fifth annual Painting for Miracles charity art event, September 26, 2009, at Zap Creative Studios in Sacramento. The sponsorship funded an artist’s interpretive painting of a Children’s Miracle Network child’s story, and featured 50 artists overall portraying 50 different children’s stories. More...

Painting for Miracles Donates All Proceeds to Children’s Hospital
Voyage Home Loans’ sponsorship of ZAP Creative Studio’s, Painting for Miracles, brought in over $700 towards the overall raised $20,000 donation to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. More...