Ontario REALTORS® Donate $1 million to Shelter-Based Charities as Pandemic Continues to Challenge Shelters and Food Banks
As the third wave of the pandemic continues to put pressure on the province’s already stretched shelter system, the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington is supporting five shelter-based charities in our local community by providing $19,290 in funding to assist with service continuity. The five shelter-based charities that received funding are Halton Women’s Place, Salvation Army Hamilton Booth Centre, The Bridge Hamilton, Wesley Urban Ministries, and YWCA Hamilton. This funding is part of the Ontario Real Estate Association’s (OREA) larger donation of $520,000 to Ontario shelters and food banks, which is on top of the $480,000 donation made one year ago. The funds will be distributed through the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation to nearly 100 shelters and food banks across Ontario.
“The impacts of COVID-19 continue to be felt around the world, including in our local communities with vulnerable populations being disproportionately affected,” says RAHB President Donna Bacher. “In our RAHB market area, we have witnessed first-hand the tremendous work and obstacles these five charities have had to overcome during the pandemic. Our hope is that this donation will have a direct impact on our community and assist in each charity’s pandemic recovery plan.”
All charities receiving funding are listed on RealHeart.ca, a recently launched initiative with a mission to support Ontario REALTORS® in their work to build stronger communities across Ontario. In 2020 alone, the Foundation raised more than $1.1 million for shelter-based organizations. Today’s donation is part of OREA’s and ORCF’s longstanding commitment to helping families in need of emergency and permanent housing.
“The impact of this pandemic on our local communities has been devastating,” says President of the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation Heather Arnott. “We hope this donation will help our community organizations continue the incredibly important work they do to help those going through tough times. I’d like to thank the OREA Board of Directors for their continued support of the Foundation and for their work in responding to the current COVID crisis. This funding is consistent with the socially responsible leadership that OREA, its 37 Member Boards and its REALTOR® Members provide to the Ontario communities they serve.”
Pictured is Anuja Varghese from YWCA Hamilton
To make a donation to the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, go to www.RealtorsCareOntario.ca.