Foundation announced the recipients of its annual Community Grants
Program and awarded four local nonprofit agencies a total of $10,000.
The foundation awarded grants to Changed Choices, Inc., Men's Shelter
of Charlotte, Residential and Support Services, Inc., and Samaritan
House.
The foundation, which serves as the charitable arm of the association,
is dedicated to making a difference in the community by creating
housing opportunities, promoting homeownership and positioning and
educating Realtors® as leaders.
The Community Grants Program seeks to support area organizations that
address unmet housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties.
Since 2009, the foundation has awarded $20,000 through the Realtor®-
directed and funded program. "Realtors® are acutely aware of the
tremendous financial responsibility these agencies shoulder to meet
the diverse critical needs in our community," said association/
Carolina Multiple Listing Services, Inc. (CMLS) President Lyn Kessie.
"This program gives our members – who are on the front lines as
volunteers at many agencies across the region – a way to pool
resources and share in the foundation's vision of creating a better
quality of life for our community."
The following organizations submitted applications to a review panel
and were recommended by Realtors®. All were approved by the
foundation board of directors to receive community grants for the 2010
fiscal year:
• Changed Choices, Inc.: $2,500 to finance the living costs of five
formerly incarcerated female clients. Clients are supported for one
month as they work to attain employment and their first paychecks.
Recommended by Doris Horton, Realtor®.
• Men's Shelter of Charlotte: $2,500 to assist 10 of the community's
homeless citizens with rent and utility deposits to begin the process
of moving out of the shelter. Recommended by Julie Wall-Burris,
Realtor®.
• Residential and Support Services, Inc.: $2,500 to assist families
who need help with mortgages and are in danger of losing their homes
through the "First in Families" Project. All families with this
organization have the additional challenge of caring for a
developmentally disabled family member. Recommended by Donna
Anderson, Realtor®.
• Samaritan House: $2,500 to provide a home-like environment for
homeless men and women as they recuperate from a hospital or emergency
room stay. Funds will also support the referral of these individuals
to local social service agencies that assist in transitioning
individuals to stable housing.Recommended by David Deal, Realtor®.
For more information about the Housing Opportunity Foundation, the
association or CMLS, visit www.CarolinaHome.com.
