'Tis the season to give back!

Every Christmas, we at Clocktower, have made it a tradition to give back to someone in need. This year we came together to buy gifts for a family that may not otherwise be able to afford celebrating Christmas . This can be especially tough when parents who are going through a hard time are unable to provide for their kids. We consider it an honor to be able to do this and hope we have made a difference in someone's life.

Our Team Leader, Rhonda Howlett, has been very passionate about being involved in different projects outside of the Real Estate Industry when they involve making our community better. These range from volunteering at homeless shelters like Good Samaritan Ministries, to giving a donation to a local charities such as FeedMore or Habitat for Humanity.

After a night of shopping for the less fortunate, we had a company gathering. This was an opportunity for us to bond as a team and think of our next big ideas. We've had a fantastic 2016 and 2017 is shaping up to be an even better year.

Donating Is Not Just Money But Also Time

Sometimes we want to do something good for our community but when we're busy and we have a business that is thriving, it may be hard to find the time. The easiest thing you can do, if you are able to, is write a check to a charity. It takes no time to do that and it can also serve as a tax write off. Sometimes, that's just not enough or what's needed. I have said it before but I will say it again, I believe that if I can improve the community that I live in, then i'd be more fulfilled both in my career and in my personal life. Does it feel good? Absolutely, but by helping some of these causes, we're improving the community as a whole - something that we can all benefit from.

As a Realtor, I know that buying a home is an exhilarating feeling for most. There's people who save their whole lives just to be able to buy a house, but for some, it may be a dream that they may never achieve. This is where Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity comes in, they make affordable housing for those individuals that fall in the low income category and don't have the means.

From their website:

"Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 as a non-profit, non-proselytizing Christian housing ministry. Since its inception, Habitat has helped build over 400,000 homes for more than 2 million people around the world.

The Richmond Habitat chapter joined the affordable housing effort in 1986. Since then, we’ve built more than 300 homes for deserving families. Along with our partner families, generous volunteers and donors, we have restored the hope and dignity that poverty housing often strips away."

They not only rely on charitable donations but also in people's time. This is a cause that speaks directly to my industry and therefore felt it was important for me to help them out. Matt and I we're fortunate enough to volunteer at the "Restore" location. This is another source of income for them, in which building and home improvement supplies are donated and they resell them for a discounted price. The donated items sometimes need organizing, cleaning or just stocking. The day that we volunteered there was a lot of other people there offering their time which was very uplifting.

To learn more about this organization and all the good things that they do for Richmond, visit their site by clicking here.