Real Estate Articles
REALTORS® give back to community during the holidays
The beautiful voices of the Mountain View High School Madrigal Singers echoed through the breakfast room and hallways of the Los Altos Hills Golf & Country Club, where members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®' Los Altos/Mountain View District gathered to celebrate the holidays on December 9. Each year, the Madrigal Singers entertain members of the local REALTOR® district, singing holiday songs in a capella and chorus. Their performance is one of the highlights of the REALTORS®' annual holiday breakfast. It is at this special breakfast that REALTORS® set aside the time to thank their volunteers, and at the same time give back to the community during the holidays.
Denise Welsh, a REALTOR® with Intero Real Estate Services and chair of the local trade association's Los Altos/Mountain View District, welcomed everyone to the special event and thanked members for their support all year. She thanked members of the local district council for taking time out from their busy schedules and volunteering to help her coordinate this year's programs and events. She mentioned the very successful REALTORS®ervice Volunteer Program (RSVP), in which REALTORS® help local seniors with household tasks they cannot perform, their legal updates, fundraisers and tour meetings. In addition to Welsh, members of the Los Altos/Mountain View District Council include Tim Anderson (Alain Pinel Realtors), Lauren Campi (Campi Properties), Nancy Carlson (Intero Real Estate), Nancy Domich (Old Republic Title Company), Katherine Frey (Alain Pinel Realtors), Ed Graziani (Sereno Group), Bonnie Kehl (Coldwell Banker), David Kim (Intero Real Estate Services), Suzanne O'Brien (Intero Real Estate Services), Bryan Robertson (Sereno Group), Susan Sweeley (Alain Pinel Realtors), Barbara Telesco (Campi Properties), Barbara Williams (Alain Pinel Realtors) and Ramesh Zerang (Coldwell Banker).
The REALTORS® then presented a $5,000 grant to the Housing Industry Foundation (HIF). The REALTORS® have long supported HIF, a non-profit charity that helps individuals and families in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties either remain in, or return to stable housing. The Foundation has helped over 10,000 households overcome a housing crisis through one-time emergency grants for housing expenses and by rehabilitating housing units for the working poor and other special needs populations. Emergency Housing Grants are at the core of HIF's homeless prevention program. These $1,000 grants assist individuals or families with rent, mortgage, utilities, security deposits and certain repairs on a one-time emergency basis.
Accepting the check from Charitable Foundation trustee Susan Sweeley, HIF Development Director Meta Ware thanked the REALTORS® for their "unwavering support." SILVAR members have supported HIF for the over 13 years.
"I want to express my appreciation for all the help and support you have given HIF through the years," Wade said. "You provide a valuable assistance to many families who are experiencing difficult times."
Ware said with the loss of jobs and foreclosures in both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, the need for emergency funds to help individuals and families through tough times continues to grow. "We continue to be overwhelmed with emergency assistance requests," said Ware.
HIF is supported by apartment owners, builders, REALTORS®, mortgage bankers, accountants, attorneys, insurance companies and other related businesses. Administrative costs are shouldered by HIF's board of directors and their companies, so the donations go directly to families in need. For more information about HIF and how to donate, visit www.hifinfo.org.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.