From November 23 to 27, CREA held its second annual REALTORS Care® Week. It was a time to celebrate our REALTOR® members’ long-standing commitment to volunteer service. It was also an opportunity to focus in on the topic of homelessness, learn about efforts to end and prevent it in Canada for good, and explore how the REALTOR® community can help.
On November 24, REALTORS® from across Canada came together for a virtual conference, hosted by CREA, to learn about homelessness from leading experts in the field. We were particularly honoured to have our keynote speaker—best-selling author and Indigenous homelessness scholar Jesse Thistle—share his compelling personal story and answer questions from attendees. If you weren’t able to attend the live event, click here to watch the full conference recording.
Following the virtual conference, more than 300 REALTORS® signed a letter addressed to the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, voicing support for the federal government’s recent commitments to end chronic homelessness and increase affordable housing capacity.
Although hands-on volunteering opportunities have been limited this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were so proud to see more than 30 real estate boards and associations across the country step up to support homelessness-related organizations on behalf of their members in safe and physically distant ways during REALTORS Care® Week 2020. They raised awareness, committed to ongoing advocacy work, and collectively raised and donated more than $118,000, as well as tons of blankets, warm clothes, gift cards, food and personal care items.
“Giving back and helping those less fortunate is a responsibility so many REALTORS® hold dearly,” says Kimberly French, CREA Regional Director, Atlantic, and Chair of CREA’s REALTORS Care® Committee. “I’m so proud that we were able to rally together for REALTORS Care® Week despite the challenges this year and start meaningful conversations about homelessness that I know will lead to positive change in communities across the entire country.”
To learn more about CREA’s national REALTORS Care® program and REALTORS Care® Week, please visit REALTORSCare.ca.
