This week, we’d like to spotlight the generosity of the Realtors Association of Maui (RAM) for their donation on behalf of the victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In the wake of these disasters, former RAM president Marilyn Griffin opted to donate the RAM presidential contingency fund to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) REALTORS® Relief Foundation so they could provide housing-related assistance to those who were tragically forced out of their homes.
Marilyn made her decision at the end of her term as RAM’s president for 2016-17, and the other members of the executive committee unanimously voted to add their own contingency fund of $3,000 to the total. Together with the $2,000 presidential contingency fund, the final amount came to $5,000.
What better way to spend RAM’s discretionary contingency funds than by helping to provide housing-related assistance to victims of disasters? The NAR Relief Foundation provided the perfect means to do just that. RAM’s presidential contingency fund is a reserve of $2,000 set aside each year to cover unforeseen expenses as the president sees fit. According to Marilyn, there had never been a reason to tap into the fund, until she saw what happened in Texas.
Marilyn described the disaster as heartbreaking, a sentiment that was shared throughout the country as we watched an estimated 32,000 people forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in shelters. “There was no question in my mind that I should use the contingency fund to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey,” she explained.
If you’re curious about the efforts of the NAR REALTORS® Relief Foundation, it was established in 2001 after the September 11th attacks, at which point it was able to raise over $8.4 million to help surviving family members stay in their homes. Over $25 million has been raised by the Foundation since then, as its members continue to fund housing-related aid to victims of hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornadoes and other disasters.
If you’re interested in learning more, and perhaps helping to contribute to these relief efforts, you can visit www.nar.realtor. This has been a tough year in terms of natural disasters, and any help you might be able to give will certainly be appreciated by those who have lost their homes. You can rest assured that 100% of the funds collected by the Foundation go directly to disaster relief. Mahalo.
