Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board raised nearly $107,000 for the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation in 2021 and provided grants to 21 shelter-related charities in Ottawa and the surrounding areas.
OREB members contributed the funding through the board’s “$2 per member per month” campaign, since OREB’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament was again cancelled this year due to the pandemic.
“We are so thrilled to be able to assist these amazing charities in the work they do for our society’s most vulnerable,” says OREB 2021 Realtors Care Committee chair Tony McDermott. “Our humblest appreciation goes out to these unsung heroes who have made it their mission to serve those that need a helping hand, and we are truly grateful for their dedication and perseverance, especially during these challenging pandemic times.”
The 21 charities endorsed by OREB support local area residents who may not have adequate shelter, along with those who may be dealing with homelessness, addiction, mental or physical illness, spousal or familial abuse, physical disability, poverty or aging.
The 2021 Ottawa-area grant recipients are:
- Ancoura
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County
- Bruce House
- Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre
- Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa
- Helping With Furniture
- Hospice Care Ottawa
- Jericho Road Christian Ministries
- Lanark Highlands Youth Centre
- Maison d’amitie
- Nelson House
- Options Bytown
- Orleans Cumberland Community Resource Centre
- Ottawa Carleton Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
- Ottawa Rotary Home Foundation
- Restoring Hope Ministries
- Serenity Renewal for Families
- Shepherds of Good Hope
- St. Mary’s Home
- The Table
- Youth Services Bureau
“Many of our Realtor members are committed to volunteering for the charities closest to their hearts and can often be found behind the scenes giving generously of their time, energy and earnings to local charitable organizations,” says Penny Torontow, OREB’s president. “I have been volunteering from a very young age and I believe it is our responsibility to support the communities in which we work and live.”
