Giving back to the community is part of the mission of the Fort Wayne REIA™ (REIA). This year we are excited to be able to help our community around the holidays by participating in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree project and adopting a family of five for the holidays. The REIA is asking its members to either donate gifts or money to help make this family’s Christmas a joyous day.
Matching Dollars
REIA will match each dollar donated to this cause. This money will be used for gifts to even out the items purchased so each child is getting items. It will also be used to purchase dry goods and daily essentials like soap, tooth paste, laundry detergent for the family.
Donating Gifts
Members can also provide gift donations. You can buy one or several gifts it is up to you. All we ask is that you DO NOT wrap the gift but instead just put the gender and age of the child you bought for on the item. Please put your name on the back so we can contact you if needed. We are doing this so that we can eliminate duplicate gift items for the same child. We will wrap the gifts and put name tags on them before we deliver the items.
Although a gift for mom is not required we are sure she would appreciate one if someone decided to provide one. Bring donated gifts to the REIA Christmas Party. For more information about the Christmas Party, click here. If you are not attending the party and would still like to donate please let us know and we can arrange something with you.
It is one of our Missions to direct and encourage our membership to give of their time, talent and treasure back to the community so the people in the neighborhoods and we invest in can also reap the rewards of our great profession. – Scott FladHammer
Community Outreach
As Real Estate Investors, at times our emphasis on building our businesses can be so focused that we forget about the communities that make up our customer base. Helping to build strong sustainable communities should be our focus as well. A strong community is a catalyst for stable local economies and stable economies are good for business!
About Habitat For Humanity
Habitat is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have decent, safe and affordable place to live. Habitat builds with people in need regardless of race or religion and welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds.
Homeowners and volunteers build under trained supervision. Individuals, corporations, faith groups and others provide vital financial support. In the U.S., Habitat for Humanity lends no-profit, no-interest mortgage loans to its beneficiary families. On a global scale, Habitat’s traditional model is not always possible.
About The Project
The Habitat home was located in our very own Fort Wayne, Indiana. REIA members showed up bright and early to lend their talents to complete the renovation of this home for a deserving family from our local community. We were not alone in our efforts and had the pleasure of working alongside members of First Assemblies of God Church. The beneficiary of the home, a devout member of the church, was also present.
Though Habitat for Humanity is renowned for its many charitable services, homebuilding is more than just a day’s work. Most often, builds take place over the course of several weeks and in several different stages. Volunteers may participate in any stage of the build whether it is landscaping, roofing, raising walls, or painting. Recently, REIA members took part in painting a home.
Working with fellow members of the community was an awesome experience. Similar to Habitat for Humanity, First Assemblies of God Church offers a transitional living program for its members who have fallen victim to financial hardship during this period of economical instability. Habit buys and rehabs its own homes in which program participants can live rent free. Just as Habitat requires of its beneficiaries, First Assemblies of God Church requires that its own beneficiaries take financial literacy courses like those offered through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.
These courses teach the principles of responsible homeownership. Beneficiaries are then allowed to stay in the homes provided for them for a period of 18 to 24 months. Once this period is over, they are encouraged to take the new financial management tools and knowledge that they’ve learned to seek homeownership in their communities. First Assemblies of God Church program is a testament to the passion and spirit of our community members and should be an inspiration to us all to become more involved in the local communities we serve.
Fortunately, there will be more opportunities for all of our members to volunteer with this wonderful organization in the near future. If you are interested in participating, be sure to check the REIA Website regularly for updates on upcoming events.
Food Donations Help Local Children’s Home
During our December Christmas party we took time to remember our community and invited members and guest to donate food items to a local Children’s home, the Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries.
“In 1955 Indiana churches and individuals joined hearts and hands in an effort to provide homes for homeless and needy children. As a result of this effort, Baptist Children’s Home was created. After growth and merging with two sister agencies, BCH now has homes for children in Indiana and Michigan.
We care for our children in a group home setting. Each home has a houseparent couple who serves as “Mom” and “Dad” to the children in their care. Each couple may care for up to eight BCH children in their home. These Christian houseparent couples model Christian family living to the children in their care. They teach the children basic life skills such as how to get along with each other, how to budget an allowance, manage a personal schedule, clean their rooms, and so forth. Houseparents teach and model to the children how to live in a godly way.” – baptistchildrenshome.org
REIA members donated a large amount of nonperishable food items. Folks that donated food were also given additional raffle tickets towards prizes that were being offered during the Christmas party. We were happy to be able to help and look forward to other ways we may be able to give back to the community throughout the year.
