Trisha Dork

AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SERVICE

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Jennifer Arnett with Starloft Photography

Trisha Dork, broker, CEO and owner of Elite Realty believes her purpose in life is to serve and strengthen others with the help of her family and work. When it comes to her brokerage, her mission is to inspire and grow her team so they can strengthen and serve the community. Through the help of her team, Trisha put together an Elite Cares program as a vehicle to fulfill her personal and professional purpose and mission.

Every year, the brokerage chooses between seven to 10 charities, foundations or causes to partner with and/or support. Their initiatives help causes such as breast cancer, Vista Maria victims of human trafficking and veterans. Additional efforts include sponsoring local youth football or baseball teams and local families during the holidays. “We look for every opportunity to make a difference in the community,” Trisha said.

Each new year, Trisha begins her philanthropic effort at home with her husband, Dave, their son, Trent, and daughter, Angelina. As a family, they decide what buckets they want to fill together. This includes ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, serving dinners at Grace Centers of Hope, filling backpacks for kids and running races such as the Run 2 Save Our Youth. This year, Trisha set a goal to compete in 52 different competitions to raise awareness for each cause.

As the daughter of a single mother, Trisha and her two other siblings grew up extremely poor. She watched her mother work tirelessly to save money and provide basic necessities for the family. “I remember one Thanksgiving when someone knocked at our door and left a box of food,” Trisha recalled. “As kids, we were so excited to get the package, never realizing we were the in-need family.” Over the years, Trisha never forgot the impact that simple gesture had on her life. Her mother was also instrumental in creating her awareness and importance of taking care of others. Since she was 10 years old, Trisha has been serving and giving back to various organizations. “My mom used to sign me up for lady’s aide at our church, and I began serving at all the church functions, clearing dishes at holiday meals, setting tables for funerals and packing boxes of food for families in need,” she said.

Trisha’s life has always been driven by the act of helping others. When she opened Elite in 2013, her office manager, Kim, suggested delivering food boxes for families in need. “Oh, my heart was so full,” Trisha said. “As a team, we bonded over the spirit of giving, so we decided to keep it going year after year. It’s been absolutely amazing to see how many lives we’ve touched.”

At Elite, it’s all hands on deck to make the world a better place — beginning at home, in the office, among their clients and within the community. Trisha’s partner Andy is great at getting creative when the team runs out of ideas. Kim is the organizer and has fantastic skills at making sure all the volunteers, logistics and details are in place, whereas Trisha is constantly searching out new organizations to partner with and local families who need help.

“We are very intentional about serving our community all year,” Trisha explained. “Many like to give back during the holidays when everyone is all warm and fuzzy, but the truth is, the world needs help all year, every day. As a team, we find ways to do big and small things every month of the year.”

Trisha relies heavily on social media and grassroots efforts to promote and support the group’s missions. “We always try to get as many people involved in every event,” she said. “Social media is a great vehicle to drive our message. When we reach more people, different types of projects come to our attention. For example, pet lovers were excited to donate earlier this year when we supported P.O.E.T. Animal Rescue, and fitness people love to join us for 5k races that support any organization. Having lots of different causes that speak to different people open up opportunities for everyone to get involved.”

Trisha’s most successful event was when she helped her sister-in-law Nicole after she had a stroke in 2017. Her rare blood disorder, Factor V Leiden, caused a blood clot, and doctors ultimately had to perform brain surgery and remove a piece of her skull, leaving her in a coma for months. With Trisha’s brother by Nicole’s side and after 12 brain surgeries and a spinal operation, the couple faced over a million dollars in medical bills and no source of income. In response, Trisha, her family and the Elite Cares team rallied together to host a spaghetti dinner and raffle, raising over $10,000. Nicole has since recovered and is still working through rehabilitation to regain feeling and strength in her left side.

MANY LIKE TO GIVE BACK DURING THE HOLIDAYS WHEN EVERYONE IS ALL WARM AND FUZZY, BUT THE TRUTH IS, THE WORLD NEEDS HELP ALL YEAR, EVERY DAY. AS A TEAM, WE FIND WAYS TO DO BIG AND SMALL THINGS EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.

When most people were isolating and canceling events in 2020, the Elite team found creative ways to continue serving and giving back. They sent Halloween candy to troops, set out pumpkins for kids in the community, did 5k team runs, had a bottle drive for Autism awareness, collected cans for Goodfellows and continued their Thanksgiving and Christmas programs.

In 2021, the team is set to expand their efforts and complete nine Elite Cares programs. “I am incredibly proud of what the Elite family has done over the past eight years,” Trisha said. “It’s amazing to witness how many lives we’ve changed and the communities we’ve served. I also love that we’ve gotten our kids involved because I know we are creating a huge ripple effect full of kindness and service that will carry on for decades to come.”

Because of the massive charitable-based work Elite Realty has done, their brokerage has become synonymous with community service, which has established a solid client base that’s built on trust. “We don’t just sell houses: We change lives,” Trisha said proudly.

Trisha has charitable work as a cornerstone in her life, and she shows no sign of stopping. “I am a mom of two, own four businesses, go to college at the University of Michigan and still find time to compete in 52 competitions, give back and participate in charity events every month, and involve everyone in my sphere to join me on this crazy ride,” she said. “I believe, if it matters to you, you can make it happen. I push my family and agents to dig a little deeper and do a little more because everything you need is already inside you, and if you believe it, you absolutely can achieve it.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE -- Trisha Dork from Elite Realty