by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
One of the best-kept secrets about Realtors is their year-round efforts to help those who need it.
Whether it’s individuals “adopting” underprivileged kids, entire offices taking a weekend to refurbish a home or the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors’ “Ramp it Up” program, the real estate industry donates millions of dollars and countless hours to charities and related organizations.
The holiday season is no different. In fact, the number of ways agents and brokers get into the spirit of giving is matched only by the number of people and groups they help.
NEFAR’s “Ramp it Up” program, in which the organization teams with the Housing Partnership of Northeast Florida, Inc. to build wheelchair ramps for the disabled, may go on all year but the past two months have been taken to another level.
“We are in the midst of a special push the last two months of the year,” said Melanie Green, NEFAR communications director. “”It’s called ‘30 in 60’ and we are trying to build 30 ramps in 60 days. Right now, we are on target to reach that goal.”
That’s not a bad gift for a disabled person with no realistic way in or out of his home. And there are many other ways real estate professionals are going above and beyond this Christmas.
“Every year our office purchases gifts and gives donations to daniel Memorial. This way we are helping the children that have nothing have a happy holiday season,” said Candy Edson, senior loan officer for CTX Mortgage.
“Our office adopts a needy family every year and buys everything for that family from food to clothing to toys,” said Grace Lipman of Century 21 John T. Ferreira & Son Inc. “In addition, our family has decided to donate to organizations that help needy children rather than buy gifts this year.”
The folks at Century 21 Northeast Florida Brokers Council made sure their donation would reach many needy people.
“The Century 21 Northeast Florida Brokers Council donated $1,000 to the I. M. Sulzbacher Homeless Center. Then we send a card to all of the Northeast Florida Century 21 agents to let them know a donation was made in their name. We also had a clothes and coat drive for the Liberty Center and baby items for the (Hurricane) Katrina victims,” said Peggie Wattron of Century 21 Lighthouse Realty.
“We here at Watson on Amelia Island have collected money to purchase holiday food baskets for needy families in Nassau County. We anticipate serving about 30 families,” said Tom O’Connell of Watson Realty Corp.
Some said they didn’t set out to do anything in particular this holiday season, but are continuing the charitable work they do all year.
“We aren’t doing anything specifically for the holidays, but we have gotten involved in the Community Rehabilitation Center in downtown,” said Trip Bellard of Pablo Beach Mortgage. “I am a new associate member of the board of directors and I am the chairperson for the golf tourney in June. So it will be time- and resource-intensive from now until we execute over Father’s Day weekend.”
Davidson Realty and Berry & Co. Real Estate also are helping daniel.
“Davidson Realty Inc. is supporting (the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council) and Judy Hicks’ (of Re/Max Coastal Realty) efforts to give the daniel kids a good Christmas,” said Sherry Davidson, president of Davidson Realty. “We also decorated a tree for the Festival of Trees at World Golf Village. The trees are being auctioned to support the Empty Stocking Fund and St. Francis House in St. Augustine. We like to support organizations that do an outstanding job in our community.”
“We all donated money and went shopping for children from daniel and from (Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry) in lieu of exchanging gifts among our associates,” said Clare Berry of Berry & Co. “It gave us a lot of pleasure to pull together and ensure some happiness for children in need of some bright spots in their lives.”
Judy Ehling of Century 21 A1A Realty in Palatka said that so much has been given to hurricane victims lately many local needy kids may be neglected this year and she’s trying to ensure that doesn’t happen.
“The employees (of the Boys Home Association in Jacksonville) are buying gifts for (needy local kids) instead of for their regular gift exchange,” said Ehling. “My husband and I gave some, but it is not nearly enough. If any of the businesses could come to their rescue it would be wonderful.”
“The Beaches Council of Northeast Florida Association of Realtors celebrated the season on Dec. 8 at Selva Marina Country Club. All who attended brought in unwrapped gifts for children of all ages and were donated to BEAM,” said Debbie Dermody, the beaches area manager.
Pat Braden of Coldwell Banker Walter Williams Intracoastal Arlington office said her office does a couple of neat things this time of year.
“My office has chosen for the last four years to take Thanksgiving baskets to three ladies on the Northside who are enrolled in the ‘adopt a grandma’ program from Builders Care,” she said. “We fill baskets with everything from turkeys to cranberry sauce and everything in between. It is such a wonderful feeling to see these ladies each year and to renew our acquaintances with them. They also seem so happy to see us. At Christmas we collect for the Toys for Tots campaign and it is unbelievable how many wonderful toys we receive from our agents and staff and from the general public.”
Another Coldwell Banker office helped build a home this year and now is helping to furnish it.
“Our company, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity, built a home for a needy family. For the holiday season, we are giving furnishings for the home and providing gifts on the whole family’s Christmas wish list,” said Martha Dickerson, CBWW managing broker. “In addition, as entrance to our famous Christmas luncheon, we are collecting the following items: Toys for Tots, nonperishable pet food for Santa Paws and nonperishable food for the Food Bank and well as providing hot, home-cooked food to the Salvation Army for distribution to needy families.”
Aleia Haney Grantham, a mortgage consultant with Beckman Mortgage Co., said her office gives year-round to a variety of groups and organizations.
“We are all very involved in our churches, which have numerous avenues to donate and volunteer year-round and especially at Christmas time and for the holidays,” said Grantham. “Ken Jones, Beckman’s president, and his wife Ellen are involved in Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church’s annual presentation of ‘Visit to Bethlehem.’ Mary Brock and Leslie Gentsy, our processors, have adopted children from the Angel Tree at their churches. My husband and I have adopted a family through the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless and volunteer for Children’s Miracle Network, including the Festival of Lights fundraiser and the Wrap-Up-A-Miracle fundraiser currently being held at Regency Square Mall until Dec. 24. There are so many avenues to give and I think it is even more important this year as we have experienced so many tragedies in the past year globally and certainly locally and I am grateful it has drastically increased the level of ‘giving back.’ I am fortunate to work in such a generous environment and although we don’t give collectively as an office, we all give individually and we will share our experiences at our annual Christmas party.”