If there ever was a charity in harmony with a real estate brokerage, it’s Habitat for Humanity. That’s why Coldwell Banker Exclusive Realty & Management selected Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County as its quarterly community outreach project.
“We’re all chasing that dream of homeownership and how better to help our community with that than Habitat? As soon as I heard about an opportunity to help, we jumped on it,” said Coldwell Banker Exclusive Co-owner Trent Smith during a recent event at The Wilhite House in Anderson to introduce Habitat’s Carpenter Club.
A giving society of Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, Carpenter Club members pledge a donation for every Habitat home completed during the year, up to a maximum of five homes. Each time a home is completed, members receive a letter introducing them to the homeowner and inviting them to the home dedication.
The Carpenter Club helps sustain the Habitat mission with continuous giving and ongoing impact, said Kylie Herbert, Director of Development, Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County.
“The goal really is to help people with low income who really want to become homeowners be able to achieve that dream,” Herbert said. “The one thing that I always love to remind people about Habitat is that we’re not giving away homes. We’re helping people to become homeowners. They actually pay an affordable interest-free mortgage on their home and they do a whole bunch of sweat equity and financial homeowner education so that we can prepare them for long-term success not just immediate shelter.”
In addition to financial support, Coldwell Banker Exclusive is challenging construction crews in its remodeling and new home construction divisions to donate time and materials, Smith said.
“We’ve challenged those crews that we use to give back, as well, in the form of donating materials and workdays,” Smith said. “That may be once a month, or it could be wiring for a whole house. We’ve challenged them to not only give monetarily, but give of their time and talents, as well.”
There are several ways to support Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, according to Herbert. They are:
- Provide property to build homes
- Donate or discount building materials
- Donate to and shop at the Habitat ReStore
- Volunteer to help build homes. No skills required
- Serve as a board member, committee member or event volunteer
- Make a donation
For more information on Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, visit habitatanderson.org.
For more information on Coldwell Banker Exclusive Realty & Management, visit cbhdpros.com.
Photos courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County.
