A scene from Realtors Care Day 2011. (Charlotte Regional Realtor Association)

This Friday, April 20, is the annual Realtors Care Day in the Charlotte region, organized by the Housing Opportunity Foundation of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. More than 500 local real estate industry employees will spend the day working on home-repair projects that range from exterior home repairs to adaptive and safety modifications.

Volunteers are scheduled to work 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at 23 home sites across Mecklenburg and Iredell counties to replace or repair roofs and gutters, replace windows, paint siding, and perform a host of other exterior home-maintenance and rehab projects for homeowners that include veterans, the elderly and the disabled.

Three sites are in Cornelius, all in the Smithville neighborhood: One on South Hill Street and two on Smithville Lane, according to the Realtors’ group.

Stephanie Gossett

“It’s a way that we can give back to the communities that we live and work in,” said Stephanie Gossett, co-chair of this year’s volunteer day. (The other co-chair is Novi Thrasher.)

Ms. Gossett, manager of the Lake Norman and Davidson offices of Allen Tate Realty, said this is the fourth year for Realtors Care Day and it’s more needed than ever.

“A lot of these homeowners … in recent years have fallen upon very difficult times,” she said, especially with the weak economy and difficult job market. A couple of the families aided by this year’s event are veterans, she said.

The work sites were identified by Davidson Housing Coalition’s HAMMERS program, Our Towns Habitat for Humanity, the City of Charlotte’s Neighborhood & Business Services Department, Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte, Habitat for Humanity of Iredell County, Habitat for Humanity of Matthews, Love INC, and Builders of Hope.

More information on the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association home page.