While “home” should be a place of comfort to all, an unfortunate number of people in our communities have no real home to return to each night. For this reason, Domus Realty, a real estate brokerage in Halifax, Nova Scotia, decided that in addition to helping people buy and sell homes, they would also like to help those less fortunate find a place to call home. In 2009, they began “A Home for Everyone,” a fund to which Domus agents donate a set portion of each commission. To date, Domus’ REALTORS® have given over $35,000 from the fund.
“Because we are in the business of finding people a place to live, the issue of homelessness is always felt very close,” explains REALTOR® Brenda MacKenzie. “We have always been community supporters and given to various charities, so we thought it would be nice if we could pool that money toward a common goal and truly make a difference. That is what led us to creating this fund.”
Once a year, applications from local charities and organizations working towards ending homelessness are reviewed by a volunteer committee. In 2011, Laing House became the first recipient of a grant totalling over $21,000.
This year, the company is pleased to announce that they have chosen two local organizations to receive funding: Supportive Housing for Young Mothers (SHYM) and the North End Community Health Centre’s program, “NS Housing and Homelessness Network.” In September 2012, cheques were presented to representatives of these two groups at the Domus Realty office on Spring Garden Road.
Organizations that might be eligible for funding are encouraged to visit domusrealty.ca for more information on submitting an application. The deadline for next year’s grant is April 30, 2013.
Pictured (left to right): Ernie Buote, Ainslie MacNeil-Campbell, Gail Morris, Wendy Fraser, Claudia Jahn, Maura Nolan and Brenda MacKenzie.
