Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    The year 2020 will go down in the books as a most unusual year for Villa International, as well as the rest of the world. What started out as a banner year for number of guests turned out to be quite the opposite. The program and service accomplishments that Villa made during 2020 would have to be noted as keeping its mission of hospitality and community alive and well offering safe, comfortable, convenient and affordable housing to the international scientists, scholars, doctors and other healthcare professionals who were working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory Universitys Rollins School of Public Health and its various hospitals in Atlanta.The biggest news in 2020, or course, was the Covid 19 virus and all its ramifications. The good news Villa not only survived the pandemic, the lock-down, the closing of the US borders and international flights, the cancelling of classes and room bookings, research cut short, diplomatic evacuation flights, postponed ceremonies, social distancing, masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, shortage of paper goods, diligent cleaning, zooming, isolation, quarantining, lives put on hold, swab testing, hours of elevator music waiting to make vaccination appointments, endless news on the number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, vaccines, and finally the virus itself but Villa emerged strong and focused on the future. And there were NO cases of the virus with the guests or the staff.Along with most of the world, Villa suffered economically because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Since 80% of Villas operating budget comes from guest room rentals, the closing of international borders, schools and institutions caused a dramatic drop in Villas occupancy, and immediately affected its bottom line. On March 1, 2020, Villa had 47 guests from 24 countries. By the end of March, the numbers had dropped to 28 guests from 17 countries. By June only 18 guests from 10 countries remained. August 1, Villa hit its lowest number of guests with only 16 guests from 9 countries. From the beginning of September until the Humphrey Fellows arrived in early December, the numbers stayed consistently between 23 and 24 guests each night. By the end of December, the number of guests had risen to 28.During January and February 2020, Villa housed over of its entire individual guest count of the year - 88 guests from 38 countries. The total number of guests for all of 2020 was a meager 140 from 47 countries a drop from the norm of 500 guests per year from 100 countries. The bed count for the year dropped by almost 6,000 down from 15,656 in 2019 to only 9,739 in 2020. The monthly occupancy rate for rooms fell from a high of 92% in January (with 73 guests) to a low of 45% in August (with 21 guests). Total rental revenues dropped from $353,162 in 2019 to $217,925 in 2020 a loss of over $135,000 or by nearly 40% of Villas 2019 rental income and $164,000 less than budgeted for 2020. How did Villa handle the loss?Because Villa was granted a Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loan of $44,600, no staff cuts were made. Two part-time housekeepers had resigned before the pandemic and Villas dedicated Director of Development had already announced his retirement as of April 15. These 3 vacancies were not filled. Once the PPP loan was exhausted in September, voluntary reductions in pay or hours by the staff allowed for a smooth continuation of work. The budget was trimmed and expenses were held to a minimum.Villa depends on donations for the other 20% of its budget and all capital expenses. Because large gatherings during the pandemic were not allowed, Villas two traditional fundraisers, the Mothers Day Tea and the Viva Villa International Wine and Cheese Tasting and Auction were cancelled as face-to-face events. A virtual Tea Party was held on the Saturday before Mothers Day and Villas Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, patrons, sponsors and friends were invited to contribute to a Viva Villa non-event and challenged to a matching grant - which combined, grossed a generous $68,000.Meanwhile, the Board of Directors continued its work on the Strategic Plan for Sustainability and Succession which addresses upcoming changes in leadership and staffing. A timeline for changes was passed at the virtual Fall meeting of the Board, along with a Pandemic Plan to focus on best-case, moderate-case and worst-case scenarios that would be implemented as 2021 unfolds with changes in a) occupancy rate, b) ability to have fundraisers or c) level of donations. So, what has life looked like at Villa?At the same time the world went into work-from-home mode and the institutions Villa serves went virtual, many of our guests were needed in their own countries for the very work they were in Atlanta training for and upgrading their skills in. Many families needed them at home. Many were recalled by their embassies to return home while airlines were still flying to their countries sometimes with only a few hours notice. Once the borders were closed, those who stayed continued their work until it was finished, and then because they could no longer get home, often were offered contracts to fill positions affected by hiring freezes or vacated by colleagues diverted to work with Covid. At least 8 of Villas guests were working on Covid and its various areas of research, data gathering, and analysis. So many were working at home i.e. at Villa, that Villas internet band width had to be expanded in order to accommodate the volume. Once the vaccines were available, a number of the guests volunteered their skills in off hours to administer the vaccinations or to provide professional monitoring after vaccines were administered.With restrictions on travel, restaurants, entertainment venues, sporting events and performances, and with volunteer driving suspended, Villas guests spent more time at home (at Villa in their family bubble) and with their Villa friends, cooking and eating together, talking, watching movies in the game room, riding bicycles, playing basketball or badminton and, of course, pool and ping pong. With a core group that remained unusually constant from March through the end of the year, many close relationships were formed. Impromptu celebrations occurred for any occasion or excuse. Community dinners and Thanksgiving dinner were held outdoors and socially distanced, attended only by those living within the Villa bubble. Newly arriving guests were required to quarantine in rooms set aside for them for 10 days after they travelled internationally or domestically on public transportation. With most of Villas guests working in health fields, they took precautions seriously for their own protection, but were very much aware of their responsibility to protect the other guests and the staff. And, guests wanted single rooms. The largest number of guests during the year were from southern Asia 47 from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal. There were 23 from the African countries, 17 from the Middle East, 15 from Europe, 14 each from northern Asia and from Central/South America/Caribbean. The other 10 came from Central Asia, the South Pacific and Australia, and the US.A note of thanksNot enough can be said in the way of thanks to the many generous and thoughtful donors who have supported Villa during this traumatic year. Congregations, church womens groups, civic clubs, foundations, individuals, board members, advisory board members and other volunteers have rallied around and given many kinds of support. As paper products and cleaning supplies grew scarce, church circles joined forces and volunteers staked out their Costcos and Krogers and brought carloads of toilet paper, paper towels and Lysol to our door often with yummy baked goodies that boosted morale at least as much as the sight of a case of toilet paper. Villa is healthy and happy thanks to all its friends.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $421K

  • Residential Support Services

    Villa served 218 individuals in 2022 and had a 58 bed occupancy rate and 92.5 room occupancy rate. There were 110 Males and 108 females with 54 affiliated with Emory and 13 affiliated with the CDC.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $503.7K