Volunteers put a new roof on a Delburg Street home. (David Boraks photo)
A swarm of Realtors fanned out across the region Friday, not selling homes, but volunteering to fix up homes as part of the region’s first Realtors Care Day. The effort included six homes in Davidson: one on Delburg Street, off Beaty Street; one on Sloan Street, just off Griffith Street; and four on Potts Street, on the West Side.
Organizers worked with non-profit housing groups around the region, including Davidson Housing Coalition’s Hammers emergency home repair program, to identify qualifying homeowners who otherwise would not be able to afford the repairs. In some cases, the work included adapting homes for elderly or disabled residents.
A team of 22 Realtors was putting a new roof on the Delburg street home, on a day when temperatures reached the high 80s – warmer in the sun.
Standing outside the home, Brenda Armstrong, of T.R. Lawing Realty in Huntersville, said, “We have 33 houses we’re working on from Matthews to Statesville.”
Some were teams from single companies while others were collections of independent Realtors.
Ms. Armstrong was an area manager for the home-improvement effort. She said organizers with the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association’s Housing Opportunity Foundation hope the event can become an annual one.
LINK
Realtors Care Day website
PRESS RELEASE
Here’s a press release announcing the event
Charlotte Realtors® Announce Inaugural ‘Realtors® Care Day’ on April 24
Mecklenburg and Iredell County Homeowners to Benefit from Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association’s Housing Opportunity Foundation Event; Public Support Welcome
Charlotte, N.C. (March 10, 2009) – Some 600 area Realtors® will assemble from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 24, at more than 30 homes across Mecklenburg and Iredell counties to participate in the inaugural Realtors® Care Day <http://www.realtorscareday.com/> . The event – designed to assist deserving homeowners with necessary but often unaffordable exterior home repairs, as well as provide adaptive and safety modifications for the elderly and disabled – is an initiative of the Housing Opportunity Foundation <http://www.carolinahome.com/aboutus/hof/hof.aspx> (HOF), the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association <http://www.carolinahome.com/> (CRRA).
Trading BlackBerrys for toolboxes, Realtors® hope to make a lasting difference in the lives of dozens of homeowners by completing such tasks as building handicapped-accessible ramps, replacing roofs, gutters and windows, and repairing porches, railings, steps and a host of other home maintenance and rehab projects. Equipped with hammers and nails, and armed with a passion to give back, Realtors® are committed to undertaking repair projects that will result in a financial impact estimated to be in excess of $75,000.
The Realtors® Care Day committee is working with regional housing nonprofits to identify those homeowners whose needs are most urgent. These groups include the City of Charlotte Neighborhood Development , Davidson Housing Coalition’s HAMMERS program, Love, Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte, Habitat for Humanity of Iredell County, Habitat for Humanity of Matthews and Our Towns Habitat for Humanity. Selected homeowners who are physically able will work alongside the Realtors®.
While volunteer jobs at the homes are reserved for Realtors®, there are numerous opportunities for individuals and businesses in the community to support the beneficiaries of Realtors® Care Day.
“As housing industry professionals, we are very aware that many in our community lack the physical ability and/or financial resources to maintain their homes, so we are also reaching out beyond our association to folks in the construction and development business for in-kind donations of building supplies and materials, as well as soliciting sponsorships from all business sectors,” said Joe Rempson, CRRA board member and chairman of Realtors® Care Day. Information about specific in-kind needs and sponsorship opportunities ranging from $250 to $2,000 is available at RealtorsCareDay.com <http://www.carolinahome.com/realtorscare/sponsors.aspx> or by contacting Amy Ballard at 704.940.3122 or amy.ballard@carolinahome.com.
“Our intent is to create a collaborative community-wide initiative that brings people together from across the region to offer a helping hand to neighbors who are struggling in this economy,” said Donna Anderson, president of CRRA. “We are off to a tremendous start with a $5,000 grant from the National Association of Realtors®, and momentum is building as many local businesses rally around this initiative with enthusiastic support.”
About the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association
The Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association (CRRA) is a trade association that leads, educates and equips members to be productive. It provides more than 8,000 Realtor® members with the resources and services needed to conduct ethical, professional, successful and profitable businesses. CRRA is dedicated to being the region’s primary resource for residential real estate information. The association operates the Carolina Multiple Listing Services Inc. (CMLS), which has approximately 9,500 subscribers and is the private cooperative Realtors® use for access to tens of thousands of residential listings in a 10-county service area, including the high-growth Charlotte area, as well as listings outside this service area.
About the Housing Opportunity Foundation
The Housing Opportunity Foundation (HOF) is the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association. HOF is dedicated to funding, education, advocacy and leadership programs that are focused on fair and affordable housing and workforce-housing initiatives. The foundation serves to position and educate Realtors® as leaders, promote homeownership and provide funding to create housing opportunities.
