The National Association of REALTORS® and the Good Neighbor Society have announced recipients of the 15th annual Volunteering Works grants and mentoring program. The program matches real estate agents who work on small-scale charitable efforts with mentors who can help them improve and expand their impact.
The five Volunteering Works recipients will each receive a $1,000 seed grant and a year of one-on-one mentoring from a member of the Good Neighbor Society. This group is made up of past recipients of NAR’s annual Good Neighbor Awards.
The five recipients are:
Arlin Fisher, Park Company REALTORS®, Horace, North Dakota (Crosses for Cameron)
Fisher and his wife co-founded two nonprofit organizations in memory of their son who died in a car accident at age 23. Crosses for Cameron educates people about the importance of organ donation. The Garden of Healing, located within a park between two hospitals, was created to facilitate healing through nature. “Even though this garden stemmed from the loss of Cameron, we want it to be a place of life and living,” said Fisher, who is working with mentor Craig Conant, a 2001 Good Neighbor Award winner.
Pam Graves, Summer House Realty, Fernandina Beach, Florida (Stirring Hope, Inc.)
Graves met Mary Apio – a former child bride turned self-made chef – while on a mission trip to Uganda. In 2021, Graves and Apio built Sonrisa School of Culinary Arts & Bakery, a cooking school to help other survivors of assault and forced child marriage build a new life. “After Mary told me her story, and we figured out we had cooking in common, I realized that this is where the lasting change comes in,” Graves said.
Kyle Olson, Keller Williams Inspire Realty, Fargo, North Dakota (Alzheimer’s Association MNND Chapter)
For 64 hours straight, Realtor® Kyle Olson held an open house and raised $10,000 to combat Alzheimer’s – the disease that robbed him of more time with his father, Dewey. “It’s fantastic to go from working with my dad as a farmer and having those great memories to now having my son join me to do these fun things for a good cause,” said Olson, who will be mentored by 2013 Good Neighbor Award winner Kristina Rhodes.
Glenda Pollard, Pollard Partners LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Clean Pelican)
Realtor® Glenda Pollard founded Clean Pelican to improve environmental conditions in Baton Rouge. The nonprofit engages local businesses, volunteers and the mayor’s office to organize cleanup days. Through innovative programming in schools, they use technology to teach middle- and high-school students to map areas that need cleanup, and track and store what was picked up and by whom. “I am looking forward to working with Tami to find ways to recruit more volunteers,” said Pollard.
Daphne Thomas, RE/MAX Alliance Group, LLC, Tampa, Florida (Unbroken Dreams, Inc.)
Thomas founded Unbroken Dreams in 2021 to address homelessness and has connected hundreds of people with housing resources; runs a cold-weather shelter; provides necessities like food, warm clothing and blankets; and sometimes buys bus tickets to help reunite people with their families. “When people stumble upon rough times, such as homelessness or incarceration, their dreams tend to be forgotten – or broken,” said Thomas. “Unbroken Dreams believes that these dreams are attainable.”
“These Volunteering Works recipients are shining examples of the positive impact that real estate professionals make in their communities,” said NAR President Kevin Sears, broker-partner of Sears Real Estate in Springfield, Massachusetts. “Their dedication, compassion and tireless efforts enhance the lives of those they serve and set a standard for community engagement. They will not only grow their initiatives but inspire others to take meaningful action.”
For more information, visit https://www.nar.realtor/.
