WASHINGTON – December 09, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The National Association of Realtors® has joined forces with Boys & Girls Clubs of America in an effort to strengthen communities and support the country’s youth.
Beginning in 2016, NAR and BGCA will begin collaborating to make a positive impact in communities across the country. Realtors® are the most trusted resource for real estate information, with unparalleled knowledge of local market conditions, while BGCA, the premier youth development organization in the U.S. serving nearly 4 million kids and teens annually, has helped put young people on a path to a great future for more than a century. Both groups are essential to their communities and integral to American society.
“BGCA has been close to my heart for many years, and as I begin my NAR presidential term, I am very excited that Realtors® will be partnering with their local Clubs and offering their time and resources to make a difference in the lives of their communities’ children,” said NAR President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida. “Every Realtor® knows building strong communities is an important part of the job, and working with BGCA allows us the chance to contribute meaningfully to the lives of children in the neighborhoods we help to create.”
Every local Boys & Girls Clubs has specific needs, so local and state associations of Realtors® and their members will work with their local Club to determine the best way to volunteer and offer resources and have the greatest impact. Activities could include planning a clean-up day for the Club, sponsoring a holiday-themed party, offering tutoring assistance or hosting a career day for teenagers. Associations participating in the BGCA partnership may be able to meet either their “Community Involvement” or “Community Investment” requirements under NAR’s Organizational Alignment/Core Standards policy.
“We are proud to partner with NAR, state and local Realtor® associations and the more than 1 million Realtors® nationwide. This partnership will have an immediate and profound impact on Clubs, communities and most importantly, young people across the country,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of BGCA. “Realtors® live and work in every zip code in the country and, like Boys & Girls Clubs, are woven into the fabric of the communities they serve. We look forward to this impactful partnership and working together, hand-in-hand, on volunteer projects, Clubs improvements and mentoring, as well as fundraising and awareness initiatives to enable more young people to achieve great futures.”
NAR and BGCA have created a co-branded website, www.realtor.org/BGCA, as a resource for associations, members and consumers. The site includes a Club locator, toolkits for getting involved, success stories from associations, Realtor® volunteers and Boys & Girls Club alumni, as well as a list of sample volunteer activities, videos and more.
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at Facebook and Twitter.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
MEDIA CONTACT: JANE DOLLINGER / 202-383-1042
