For the second year, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board and its members are supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. The immediate contribution of over $300,000 in concert with the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation will help 40 charities, the board says. This is in addition to the $744,116 donated at the end of 2020, as part of the $1 per member per month Every Realtor campaign in support of the foundation.
Women and children faced with domestic abuse have been greatly affected during the pandemic. With the stay-at-home order and provincewide lockdowns amplifying these situations, the increased number of calls to helplines and the use of shelters has been staggering, says the board.
“We are responding to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. The communities which our members serve are in need of more support and our members are stepping up to the plate to provide it,” says TRREB president Lisa Patel. “The emergency support will primarily go towards helping those who have been disproportionately affected during this time.”
Each donation goes beyond a bed for the night and supports vital shelter operations including medical care, daily meals, resources for young people and services to help vulnerable people get back on their feet.
The board has earmarked:
- $50,000 for the School Breakfast Program (grocery store gift cards) in partnership with the Toronto Foundation for Student Success
- $175,000 to GTA food banks
- $82,404 to shelter-based charities and helplines
TRREB will also be donate $100,000 to support urgent aid during the second wave of COVID-19 in India.
Since 2008, TRREB members have donated more than $6 million through the foundation.
