Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board raised $77,359 for the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation in 2020 and provided grants to 22 shelter-related charities in Ottawa and the surrounding areas.
OREB’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic, so all funds donated this year were raised through the board’s “$2 per member per month” campaign, where members contribute funds each month towards the foundation.
“This pandemic has brought the world to its knees. Our society’s most vulnerable – who were already suffering from hunger, poverty and lack of shelter – have been affected even more profoundly. The charities that support them have even greater stresses on their shoulders, compounded by lack of funding as the economic implications of COVID-19 batter their resources and income,” says Tony McDermott, OREB 2020 Realtors Care Committee chair.
The 22 charities assist 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.
“We would like to give our humble gratitude to these charities which support those in our communities in need of their vital services. They are the unsung heroes who truly deserve our thanks, and we are fortunate to have the ability to help them in their mission to serve those who need a helping hand,” says Debra Wright, OREB 2021 president.
