WALTHAM, Mass. – June 1, 2011 – The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® Charitable Foundation recently announced its spring 2011 recipients of its Housing and Homeless Assistance Grants.  The following charities were nominated by local REALTOR® Associations and then selected to receive the grants based on their initiatives to provide affordable housing, shelter and other emergency care services within Massachusetts:

 
• Family Reach Organization in Winchester;
• Friendship Home, Inc. in Norwell;
• Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod in Yarmouth Port;
• Harborlight Community Partners in Beverly;
• Lazarus House in Lawrence;
• Old Colony Elder Services, Inc. in Brockton; and
• Steppingstone, Inc. in Fall River.

 
“REALTORS® throughout Massachusetts make contributions to their communities and community organizations on a daily basis.  The grants made by the Foundation to charities across the Commonwealth reflect the deep concern and compassion REALTORS® have for our neighbors.  It is our hope that the grants made this spring will help make the lives of children and adults better tomorrow than they were yesterday,” said MAR Charitable Foundation Chairman Paul Yorkis, broker/owner of Patriot Real Estate in Medway. 

 
Housing and Homeless Assistance Grant Program Overview:
The Charitable Foundation’s Board of Trustees created this program in 2000 to encourage REALTOR® support for local non-profit groups and their initiatives to provide affordable housing, shelter and other emergency care services within the Commonwealth.
 
Each local REALTOR® association in Massachusetts is able to nominate housing or homeless assistance charitable organizations (501(C)(3)s) from their jurisdictional area for a monetary grant from the Foundation.  Grants are awarded in the spring and fall of each calendar year.  The deadline for the fall 2011 funding round is October 1, 2011.
 

About the MAR Charitable Foundation:
The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® Charitable Foundation performs a variety of community outreach initiatives that provide assistance to needy individuals and the community at-large. Since its inception in 1992, the Foundation has implemented several grant programs aimed at furthering the REALTOR® tradition of giving back to the local community.   For more information or to make a donation to the Foundation go to: www.marcharitable.com.

About the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®:
Organized in 1924, the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® is a professional trade organization with more than 18,000 members.  The term REALTOR® is registered as the exclusive designation of members of the National Association of REALTORS® who subscribe to a strict code of ethics and enjoy continuing education programs.
 

###