CANOPY HOUSING FOUNDATION

Through Canopy Housing Foundation, Realtors® are working hand-in-hand with individuals, organizations and corporate partners to strengthen our communities.

The Foundation’s vision and mission support Advancing the Profession and Improving Communities

The Vision of the Foundation is: “Creating a community where all housing needs are met.”

The Mission of the Foundation is: “Realtors® creating housing opportunities through advocacy, education, funding and leadership.”

Realtors® Care Day

On April 22, more than 350 Realtor® volunteers worked on 15 projects for the 11th Annual Realtors® Care Day. In addition to the critical repair projects for homeowners, there were a number of special projects that took place to aid the community at large. These projects included:

• Hope Haven, Charlotte

• McCreesh Place, Charlotte

• Children’s Hope Alliance, Troutman

Realtor® volunteers also conducted Food Drives in Mecklenburg / Iredell / Haywood Counties in conjunction with RCD to further spread the Realtor® impact. Almost 10,000 pounds of food was collected to benefit local food pantries and animal shelters. Since the program’s inception, 300 families and non-profit organizations have received critical exterior repairs to their homes or facilities with an estimated economic impact of more than $1.2 million

Sixth Annual Strides for Shelter 5K

On October 21, a beautiful fall day, the Realtor® community hosted 670 registered participants for the Sixth Annual Strides for Shelter 5K Run / Walk. The runners and walkers raised $39,444.97 for Charlotte Rescue Mission. The 2022 race achieved record results in both the number of participants as well as the largest amount of money ever raised.

Quarterly Realtor® member solicitations

The Canopy Realtors® stepped up to show their support for the Foundation’s non-profit work by raising a record amount through two quarterly member solicitations. The total amount contributed by the Realtor® community in 2022 was $87,297. Of this amount, a total of $4,235 was raised in Haywood County and will be used to address local housing initiatives in that community specifically.

Canopy Housing Foundation primarily fulfills its vision and mission by distributing funds in the three-county service area through various grant and award programs.

Grant Distributions

Community Grants

The Community Grants are awarded annually to non-profit organizations who are addressing unmet housing needs. This grant program is conducted in the Canopy Realtor® Association jurisdiction.

• In 2022, Haywood County Realtors® awarded a total of $10,000 to two organizations. In Mecklenburg and Iredell Counties, a total of $50,000 was invested in the community through 17 organizations.

• The NC REALTORS® Housing Foundation matched the $3,000 received by Purple Heart Homes in Statesville with an additional $3,000 through their state-wide grant program, therefore, leveraging the initial awarded funds.

• The total amount of funds distributed through the Community Grant Program since its inception is $445,619.70

Award Programs

Humanitarian Award

The Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a person, project or organization that has contributed greatly to the quality of life in our communities. This year, the Realtor® community recognized Hearts & Hands Food Pantry in Huntersville. Not only were they awarded for the service work that they do to feed hundreds of families each year, they were honored for their innovative approach to serving families who are food insecure.

• $5,000 was presented to Hearts & Hands Food Pantry. The total distributed through the Humanitarian Award program since 2007 is $51,250

YES Award

Habitat Regional Grants

The other primary grant program of the Foundation is the Habitat Support Grant Program. These grants are intended to support project-based applications and those specifics to creating homeownership opportunities.

• A total of seven regional Habitat organizations received funding in the amount of $21,000

• The total amount of funds distributed through the Habitat Support Grant Program since its inception is $296,700

Scholarships

• Two scholarships were also distributed in Haywood County to local high school students in the amount of $1,000 for a total of $2,000.

Grant Celebrations

The Youth Excellence in Service Award (YES Award) exists to recognize young adults ages 10-18 who are positively affecting our communities through service and leadership. The 2022 award was presented to Brandon Wilson, a 12-and-a-half- year-old, who founded Beamer, Inc. which raises funds for Atrium Health Care’s Child Life Department. The $500 award given to Brandon was leveraged into $7,931.80 through his efforts during 2022 alone. These funds will assist the Child Life Specialists at Atrium who are attending to the needs of children with critically ill parents.

Two Grant Celebrations were held to ensure coverage of the Canopy Realtor® Association jurisdiction and to celebrate those organizations receiving funds from the Canopy Housing Foundation.

Haywood County

In Haywood County, the celebration took place at a July 26 luncheon and was held at the Wells Event Center. Approximately 80 people were in attendance as the grant and scholarship recipients were honored.

Mecklenburg/Iredell Counties

On July 27, grants were distributed at a special brunch for organizations in Mecklenburg/Iredell Counties. Held for the first time at the Canopy Realtor® Association headquarters, there were approximately 125 people in attendance. The guest speaker for the event was Linda Lockman-Brooks, a key community leader and founder of Lockman-Brooks Marketing Services.

What was new Canopy Housing Foundation adopted Little Sugar Creek Tribune III at Pearl Park. Throughout the year, more than 40 Realtors® volunteered from the Diversity Inclusion Alliance, the Young Professional Network, the Leadership Academy and the Canopy Housing Foundation Committee.

A new YES Award Mentor program was launched to offer an opportunity for the YES Award recipient to recognize someone who has mentored and influenced them greatly with a mentor pin. Brandon Wilson presented the first-ever mentor lapel pin to a former teacher. We participated in Giving Tuesday CLT on November 29. Although a global effort, this day of philanthropy is sponsored locally by Share Charlotte. Members of the Canopy Housing Foundation Committee offered to match any donations up to $1,250 resulting in an additional $1,400 in support for the Foundation. The Foundation was also awarded two Lowe’s gift cards for participating in the events of the day. The gift cards will be used toward the costs of Realtors® Care Day in 2023.

Tiffany Johannes, 2022 President-elect, participated in the “Pitch Battle” at NAR’s Leadership Institute. She pitched Project R.E.A.C.H. in an attempt to gain national recognition and financial support for the project. As part of the top two presentations, Johannes received $1,500 for the project from NAR to be used in the 2023 project. Expressing pride in the presentation that Johannes gave, NC REALTORS® further presented Canopy with a check for $6,000 to support the project.

Canopy Housing Foundation received support from the Diversity Inclusion Alliance (DIA) designed a special T-shirt with the message ‘Fair Housing for All’ with the proceeds supporting the mission of the Canopy Housing Foundation. DIA has raised $3,435 for the Foundation’s mission through these shirt sales.

Project R.E.A.C.H.

Approximately 125 Realtor® volunteers assisted five organizations with their mission; each group received $500 from their Realtor® volunteer groups. Non-profit groups participating included:

• Urban League of Central Carolinas

• Project Outpour

• Beds for Kids

Holiday Virtual Auction

• Braveworks

• Freedom School Partners

A total of 199 items were donated to be auctioned virtually via www.BidForCanopy.com in support of the Canopy Housing Foundation. More than $33,000 net was raised to address housing needs in Mecklenburg, Iredell and Haywood Counties through the Foundation’s multiple grant programs and initiatives.

Haywood County Investments

In the spring of 2022, Haywood County secured a housing opportunity grant from Dogwood Health Trust, which is a nonprofit that administers the proceeds from the Mission Hospital sale on behalf of 18 western counties. The grant award totals $1,112,500 and will be matched by Haywood County from American Rescue Plan Funds, plus the Town of Maggie Valley will contribute $112,500, for a total of $2,225,000.

Of those funds, $375,000 will be used to pave the roads at Bethel Village, which is an affordable housing subdivision owned by Mountain Projects, a Canopy Housing Foundation Community Grant recipient. Another $334,000 will go to the Pathways Center, also a Community Grant recipient, for the development of transitional housing for individuals and families. The remaining $1,515,602 will be dedicated to a more permanent resource making it easier for non-profits and local governments to address unmet housing needs in Haywood County.

As part of the continued effort to ensure that these Canopy Realtor® members remain part of the community rehabilitation , the Canopy Housing Foundation Western Region Committee has pledged to work closely with the county and area non-profits to offer support as these relief funds are utilized.