The Cape and Islands Association of Realtors was able to assist six local housing nonprofit organizations in accessing $6,000 worth of grants from the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) Charitable Foundation.
The MAR Charitable Foundation awards grants to 501c3 organizations that REALTOR® members work with to help those in need throughout Massachusetts. In order to be eligible to receive funds, the nonprofit organization must work with a local Cape Cod or Islands-area REALTOR®. Most grants are given to organizations working in the housing or housing-related fields. These grants are made available to local organizations through CCIAOR, who facilitates the application process.
“REALTORS® are good neighbors and committed to the communities they serve,” said CCIAOR Chief Executive Officer Ryan Castle. “These charitable foundation grants are one of the most tangible ways to show our collective impact in the community, but REALTORS® give back every day in big and small ways, making our communities more sustainable and great places to live and work.”
The 2023 Grant recipients which each received a grant for $1,000 are:
Belonging to Each Other (Falmouth): Belonging to Each Other provides transitional housing for adults experiencing homelessness in Falmouth during the cold weather months, and housing restoration services year-round. Executive Director: Gina Torielli, REALTOR® Sponsor, Lynn O’Neill, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Robert Paul Properties.
Champ Homes (Hyannis): Champ Homes provides transitional housing to adults on Cape Cod who are homeless or near homeless in a safe, compassionate, respectful environment, where they instill confidence and hope through providing life skills, mentoring, vocational opportunities, and self-advocacy. Executive Director: Adam Burnett, REALTOR® Sponsor: Laura Usher, William Raveis Real Estate.
Harwich Ecumenical Council for Homeless (Harwich): Harwich Ecumenical Council for Homeless (HECH)’s main mission is to develop compassionate solutions to homelessness problems for families, especially those with children living in Harwich & the surrounding communities of Cape Cod. Executive Director: Kim Bourgea, REALTOR® Sponsor, Pam Roberts, Sotheby’s International Realty.
Homeless Prevention Council (Orleans): The Homeless Prevention Council (HPC) empowers people by providing the tools, resources and guidance to promote stability through personalized solutions. CEO: Hadley Luddy, REALTOR® Sponsor: Jen Whitaker, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty.
The Lily House (Wellfleet): The Lily House provides around-the-clock hospice-level care in a peaceful, compassionate, and contemplative environment where terminally ill residents can live and die with dignity, comfort, and grace while being cared for with love at no cost to those in need. Board President: Dawn Walsh, REALTOR® Sponsor: Jac Augat, Kinlin Grover Compass.
Vineyard House (Vineyard Haven): Vineyard House provides housing for island men and women in need of a safe, structured living environment while they are in the early stages of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Executive Director: Jennifer Vogel, LICSW, REALTOR® Sponsor: Dawn Bellante Holand, Sandpiper Realty.
Founded in 1991, the mission of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® Charitable Foundation is to support those in need across the Commonwealth. The foundation has given more than $600,000 in grants for housing, homelessness, hunger, and disaster relief in Massachusetts. The MAR Charitable Foundation awards housing and disaster relief grants twice a year to 501(c)(3) organizations that work with REALTOR® members to help those in need across Massachusetts. Charities may contact the local REALTOR® association for an application.
For more information on the MAR Charitable Grants program, visit https://www.marealtor.com/mar-charitable-foundation/.
