This summer, in the heat and humidity of rural Cambodia, dedicated Canadians, including Jim Horner, built 13 homes for people in need, many of them poor farmers. These were the first homes that some of these people had ever experienced. Each sturdy structure was built on four stilts with sheets of corrugated steel for the roof and walls and lumber for the floors. As basic as these homes are by Canadian standards, they provide vital shelter. Jim was especially moved to see an older Cambodian woman arrive to move into her new home.
“All that she had in the world was a pot, a kettle and a tarp. She had no change of clothes, no pillow, no bed sheets, no nothing. It was devastating to see how so many Cambodians live compared to us. These are just poor, poor people.”
Jim Horner, a REALTOR® with Sutton Group – Heritage Realty Inc., became involved in this special project because of his fiancée Julia. She had adopted two children from Cambodia and belongs to an informal group of families who have similarly adopted. Every four or five years, they return to build homes and contribute to the country that gave them the gift of sons and daughters. For this trip, they raised $26,000 through golf tournaments, bake sales, yard sales and other fundraisers so that they could build 13 homes at a cost of $2,000 each.
The money they raised went to Tabitha Foundation Cambodia. The charity purchases and delivers the building supplies and provides guidance for volunteers who construct the homes. In the past 14 years, 9,222 houses have been built by 12,000 volunteers from around the world. For details, please visit www.tabitha.ca.
In addition to being inspired by his partner, Jim had his own reasons for volunteering for this project. “Part of the reason I made the trip is because I’m a cancer and heart attack survivor and I have Crohn’s disease. Despite it all, I’m here, I’m alive and I feel compelled to make a difference for other people. Life is full of potential.”
This story was adapted – with permission – from one originally featured on the Sutton Spirit website. The Sutton Spirit program recognizes Sutton associates across Canada that improve and enhance the lives of the people around them.
