Chicago, IL – June 2, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Society has announced the recipients of the third annual Volunteering Works program, which matches Realtors® who work on small-scale charitable efforts with mentors and awards them grant money.
The five Realtors® recognized will receive a $1,000 grant and a year of one-on-one mentoring from a member of the Good Neighbor Society, who are past recipients of the annual REALTOR® Magazine Good Neighbor Award for volunteer service.
“Realtors® play a significant role in building communities,” says National Association of Realtors® President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. “Volunteering Works highlights NAR members who are volunteering their time to answer a need in their community. We’re proud to help them grow their efforts so they can serve even more people.” A past Good Neighbor Award recipient himself, Phipps was recognized in 2001 for his work with the Tomorrow Fund.
The Volunteering Works recipients were selected based on their dedication to the community through volunteer work and the potential for their charitable work to be expanded or improved with the help of an expert mentor. On average, mentors spend more than 20 hours a week on volunteer work and have built some of the country’s most effective and charitable organizations.
“During times of economic uncertainty, the efforts of these Volunteering Works recipients are needed more than ever,” said Frank Sibley, REALTOR® Magazine publisher. “With the guidance from Realtor® mentors, we hope the five winners will be able to make their charity even more effective.”
The 2011 recipients of the Volunteering Works grant and mentoring are:
Rosemary Dutter, American Dwellings, Beloit, Wis.
Dutter started the Dutter House to offer parents time off from caring for their children with special needs. She recruited volunteer caregivers, serving approximately 40 families since 2009. Her mentor will be 2010 Good Neighbor Dave Philp, CRS, GRI, of Coldwell Banker Burnet in Chaska, Minn., who is a 25-year master for Ridgeview Foundation. Dutter will seek guidance on raising funds for a handicap-accessible playground and paying off the $114,000 mortgage on Dutter House.
Joy Lynch, CRS, SFR, Northwest Signature Properties, Piscataway, N.J.
Lynch cofounded Just 4 Women Inc., to help women dealing with abandonment, domestic violence, sexual abuse and substance abuse issues. Lynch will seek the guidance of 2008 Good Neighbor Lei Barry, ABR, CRS, of Keller Williams Real Estate in Blue Bell, Penn., who founded the Hope Gardens organization. Lynch will look for advice on developing a strict budget and implementing an effective fundraising plan.
Robert H. Patterson, ABR, CRS, The Bob Patterson Group, Hamilton, Ga.
Patterson chairs The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy/Harris County. He has prompted early literacy by providing a free hardcover book each month to children in Harris County from birth to five years old. Currently, 60 percent of the county’s children receive books. Patterson will work with his mentor, 2010 Good Neighbor Honorable Mention Joe Perry of RE/MAX-Gold in Clovis, Calif., founder of Boys2Men Girls2Women. Patterson hopes to learn more about how to reach more parents and motivate them to sign up for the program.
Casey Stallone, Prudential Utah Elite Real Estate, Orem, Utah
Stallone, a divorced mother, founded Our Legacy Vision to provide essentials like furniture, bedding appliances and dishes to divorced fathers so they can offer a loving environment to their children. She also provides counseling and resources to the fathers so they can rebuild healthy relationships with their children. Stallone will seek guidance from her mentor, 2010 Good Neighbor Cathie McGregor Critchlow, broker, GRI, PMN, of The Franklin Group in Morgan, Utah, and founder of The Women’s Retreat House. She hopes to build a stronger network of men.
Marc Takacs, ABR, Keller Williams Atlanta, Midtown
Takacs, a founding board member of Neighbors in Need/East Atlanta Village, has helped 25 seniors stay in their homes by making emergency home repairs, such as fixing leaky roofs. He fights to keep seniors who are on fixed incomes from losing their homes as a result of deferred maintenance. Takacs will seek guidance from his mentor, 2010 Good Neighbor Honorable Mention Joe Rempson, T.R. Lawing Realty Inc., Charlotte, N.C., founder of Realtors® Care Day. Takacs hopes to replicate his program in other neighborhoods.
This is the third year of the Volunteering Works program, funded by The Stuart & Jill Siegel Charitable Foundation. To learn more about Volunteering Works or the Good Neighbor Awards, visit www.REALTOR.org/gna.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. News releases are posted in the Web site’s “News Media” section in the NAR Media Center.
Contact:
Michelle Wardlaw 202/383-1042
Sara Geimer 312/329-8296
