Yesterday we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Unfortunately I had a crazy schedule and was unable to serve my community. However, I was able to gather summer clothes together to donate to the people in Haiti. I applaud Chapel Rock Christian Church on Indy's Westside for organizing a donation drop off for Haiti Relief. If you are in the Indy area check out how you can donate clothes & supplies. http://tinyurl.com/ygltudw

 

Since the earthquake disaster in Haiti, it is wonderful to see how people have really stepped up to help those in need. The Red Cross alone has raised over $21 million dollars thru their $10 donation campaign. People don't realize what a difference $10 can make to those who are suffering & homeless. The REALTOR® Foundation also has a great $10 campaign! We call it "$10 for 10"...and actually with the new year we could refer to it as "$10 for 10 in 10"! Check out our "$10 for 10"  http://vimeo.com/3438754  and contact Molly Hahn @ 317.956.1912 to start your $10 donations.

 

For all of you here in the Indianapolis area, join us downtown at Noodles & Co for lunch or dinner tomorrow, January 20 (dine in or carry out). http://tinyurl.com/ffjan  This is a great way to help the homeless...just by having a meal. You have to eat sometime..Right?! So come out & dine with us and help your homeless neighbor.

 

This week I will continue to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. And I encourage everyone to take time to do what you can to help those in need as he taught. Whether it is $10 a month or $8 at lunch, it all adds up & it really makes a difference.

 

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

-Martin Luther King Jr.

J

RJ

Hello everyone! It is Regina and I am excited about this year "Twenty Ten" and all it has to offer. The countdown has begun for me only 51 weeks left in this new year.....so much to do, so little time. All of the Foundation Board of Directors & Committee Members have been working very hard to make this year a huge success.

 

I just wanted to let you know about a few important dates and events that are happening within the month of January.  

*First of all if you or someone you know loves the show "Dancing with the Stars" and would love to take dance lessons then check out our item of the month: http://www.mibor.com/realtorfoundation/auctionitem.asp . We have Arthur Murray dance lessons that are a $625 value and the current bid for this item is a low $65!! Place your bid today. . .the bidding for this item closes on January 28th!

 

*Next event that we are featuring is our monthly "Feed the Fight". On Wednesday January 20th, Noodles & Company will be hosting The Realtor Foundation's "Feed the Fight" event. The way you can help the homeless is by having lunch or dinner at  Noodles & Company (Indy downtown location) on January 20th. http://www.mibor.com/realtorfoundation/feed.asp Click on the Noodles & Company words for the flyer you would need to present at time of purchase: (Please pass along this flyer link to your family, friends & co-workers via email, facebook, twitter etc....)

 

*Last and certainly NOT least is this year's MIBOR Ball. For all of you in the Real Estate industry that are members of MIBOR, please make sure you register today for the 2010 Ball. If you register by this Thursday, you will be entered to win two tickets to this weekend's Colts playoff game!

Check out the Top 10 Reasons why you should attend the Ball: http://www.news.mibor.com/outbound/MessageDisplay.jsp?subscriber_id=2911&track_id=407&message_id=203&cid=781

 

I will give you reason #11: I am the Ball Chairperson and it is an awesome event that should NOT be missed!! (Yes, I used the word "Awesome"!!)

Click here to make your reservation today: http://www.mibor.com/theball/TheBall_Registration.pdf

 

I hope to see you all out and about this month participating in these great events.

Let's have the courage to help our homeless neighbors!!

 

I will close my entry today by quoting Dr. Cornel West, "Empathy is not simply a matter of trying to imagine what others are going through, but having the will to muster enough courage to do something about it. In a way, empathy is predicated upon hope."

 

RJ

It was a whirlwind 2009, and even though today is January 5, I am still recovering! Thanks to everyone for your support of our efforts to solve homelessness this year! As my term ends, I think about the lives that have been touched this year, from the young adults living in the Fostering Independence program to the single mom who has finally broken the cycle of drug addiction in her family to the veteran in Partners in Housing who says each day is his best. Thank you for changing those lives!

 

I’m handing over the reins to Regina Jones, the 2010 President. I look forward to reading her thoughts this year!

Yesterday was the annual homeless persons' memorial service, noting all those who died in Marion County in 2009 who had been homeless. It is a reminder to us as the cold sets in that hundreds, if not thousands, of people live without a place to call home. This article from today's Indianapolis Star highlights the event:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20091222/LOCAL18/912220349/Homeless-who-died-in-past-year-are-honored

At the event, several formerly homeless individuals were highlighted, including a woman who is currently living at Holy Family transitional housing (supported by the Foundation). Her story is one of hope--that after a lifetime of bad choices, she is finally getting her life on track, and that her children have a chance to break the cycle of homelessness. And that, after all, is the goal of this Foundation's work--that providing the housing and services needed for folks will prevent future generations from following that path.

Happy holidays to everyone as we keep these less fortunate folks in our thoughts.

We've now visited 10 of our 12 grant recipients to hand deliver grant checks for the 2010 awards. It is so rewarding to see the impact in person that our grants make. As I think about it, several images stand out from the last few weeks.

--the roof that is about to cave in on the electrical system at Hancock Hope House
--the enormous dorm room with Christmas lights and a Coca Cola billboard on the ceiling at Dove Recovery House
--the flowers painted on the wall at Desert Rose Foundation
--a mobile home being outfitted for a family of eight at Christian Help
--the new Web site and brochure at Pathway to Recovery

These sights and many more make all of us at the Foundation realize how privileged we are to be giving back to fine organizations around the area. Many of the organizations have wish lists that they have shared with us, and they are basic items that we may take for granted. This holiday season, maybe you could help enhance our gifts just a little more with small items for the shelters such as:

toilet paper
winter boots, jackets, mittens, scarves (all ages)
shampoo, conditioner, soap, razors
alarm clocks
combination locks
gas cards
bus passes
stamps
hand sanitizer

There are many more items on their lists....if you are interested in contributing, you can drop the items off at the Foundation office and Molly Hahn will get them to the shelter that needs them the most. Happy Holidays to everyone and thanks for your support!

When you think back, what would you say was the greatest day of your life?

At the Foundation, we have had some pretty good days lately as we feel fortunate to deliver grant checks to our twelve recipients for 2010. However, not many of us have the same perspective as Dan, a former Marine and recovering alcoholic who became homeless. Now living at a Partners in Housing facility specifically for veterans, Dan says that each day is the greatest day of his life. "Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here yet," is his motto, so he lives life to the fullest. Learn more of Dan's story on the Partners in Housing Web site: http://www.pihdc.org/

Would you like to meet some of our grant recipients in person? If so, contact Molly Hahn at 317/956.5255. We will be delivering checks throughout the next two weeks.

Hancock Hope House ($15,000) provides shelter services for families and single men from Hancock, Rush and Shelby counties.

Christian Help, Inc ($10,000) offers supportive affordable housing through a life skills project in which each family helps to rehab a mobile home. Each family has an 18 month plan for home ownership.

Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center ($10,000) maintains a unique program called Fostering Independence for young adults who have aged out of foster care and are homeless. Residents live in community and are provided with supportive services.

Pathway to Recovery ($10,000) operates 5 housing programs providing a seamless continuum of care beginning with supportive housing and ending with permanent housing for over 70 homeless participants battling mental health and substance abuse issues including 11 families. 

Coburn Place Safe Haven ($5,000) provides safe, affordable housing and supportive services to women and children who are homeless because of leaving abusive situations.  

Dayspring Center ($5,000) provides emergency and transitional housing plus supportive services to families.

Desert Rose ($5,000) gives women in central Indiana a safe, protected retreat from abuse for them and their children, coupled with resources and guidance to help them rebuild their lives free from domestic violence.

Dove Recovery House for Women ($5,000) provides housing for women with drug and alcohol addictions.

Gennesaret Free Clinic ($5,000) runs the Health Recovery Program that houses men during their recovery from a hospital stay while providing supportive services on the road to permanent housing.

Holy Family Transitional Housing ($5,000) offers shelter and services to help families break the cycle of homelessness, providing the stability necessary to be successful in school, work and life.

Partners in Housing ($5,000) operates 350 units of affordable permanent supportive housing throughout Marion County.

Sheltering Wings Center for Women ($5,000) gives women in central Indiana a safe, protected retreat from abuse for them and their children, coupled with resources and guidance to help them rebuild their lives free from domestic violence.

I think everyone would agree that it has been a long year since the economy really took a turn for the worse last fall. All of us have had to make adjustments in our business plans, our spending habits and our consciousness of the vulnerability of those around us.

Yet, today, there are glimmers of hope. From the Foundation’s standpoint, we are glad that service providers for the homeless have been able to stay afloat and serve the ever-growing population of families in need.

What can you do to help the situation when you may have your own concerns?
·         Volunteer. We guarantee it will be a gift to yourself, not only the people you are helping. Volunteering keeps things in perspective.
·         Donate money. Whether it’s a neighbor in need or an official charity, everyone has something to give, and every dollar counts.
·         Be aware.  Look for issues in the paper that affect our most vulnerable citizens, such as the legislation surrounding the documents required to get a State ID card. Spread the word to everyone!

The bottom line is this: this economic condition is not going to be cured by a single act of Congress or a single home or car buyer. It takes everyone to be engaged. To learn more about the Foundation’s efforts to solve homelessness, contact Molly Hahn today at the Foundation office: 317/956.5255. We promise you it will be a call that can change your life forever!

For some reason, homelessness and Harvard have collided in the news twice lately. These are both interesting pieces about young people finding their way through the homeless system.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/24/homeless.to.harvard/index.html?iref=newssearch

http://multimedia.boston.com/m/25672397/homeless-at-harvard.htm

It's been nearly a month since I've shared insight with you on this blog - sorry that I've been a bit busy! I hope some of you have caught our short updates on Facebook and Twitter during that time.

Much of July was spent gearing everyone up for our Foundation golf outing, which was a great event on July 23. Thanks to all of our volunteers, sponsors and players who helped raise just over $22,000 for the Foundation's efforts to solve homelessness!

With families still in crisis in central Indiana, the Foundation still needs your help this year. We just received nearly $300,000 in requests for grants, and we would like to do our part to fulfill those requests. Can you help by donating $50, $25, or $10? Do your part today by clicking here! http://www.realtorfoundation.org/

Did you catch one of the Foundation's Board members in the Indy Star last week? What a great story! Click here for the full version: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907260385

One last note for today - Maria Larrison, the CEO of Sheltering Wings, has started a new blog. If you want to learn more about their programs for victims of domestic violence, click here: http://shelteringwings.org/blog/