Working for a strong community

The Santa Fe Association of Realtors’ Community Services Committee and Realtor members have been active over the last six months lending a helping hand through contributions and as volunteers for a number of charities and organizations that support families, youth, or children. In December, SFAR sold poinsettias to members over the holiday season with the proceeds benefiting the Solace Crisis Treatment Center, a nonprofit agency located in Santa Fe that provides a safe place for those needing assistance through a crisis or suffering from trauma. For over 40 years, the center has provided evidence-based services including therapy, victim advocacy, and primary prevention programs. These efforts were bolstered in June of this year through Realtor volunteer support for the Solace Treatment Center’s golf event dedicated to raising funds to support the center.

Earlier this year, the Santa Fe Association of Realtors donated $4,000 to assist with funding Kaune Kids United Way Early Learning Center; gave $500 to The Food Depot’s “Stamp Out Hunger” program, helping to underwrite the food collection bags that were distributed to 55,000 homes throughout Santa Fe County; and gave $10,000 to Prosperity Works earmarked for affordable housing. The funds donated to ProsperityWorks will be used to create opportunities for hard-working New Mexicans to own a home, earn a college education, and start or grow a small business through individual development accounts (IDAs) with matched saving programs. IDAs were created to encourage savings, investment and asset accumulation among families. Most of these IDA programs are offered through other local nonprofit organizations that also provide financial educa- tion. ProsperityWorks assists individuals living below the 200 percent poverty level who continue to work.

Lastly, several of our Realtor members are offering leadership and direct volunteer involvement in a new fundraiser sponsored by the New Mexico Children’s Foundation and the Santa Fe Children’s Museum. These two leading organizations whose work benefits New Mexico’s children have come together for the first annual Starry Starry Night gala. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, under the stars at the Children’s Museum with a live and silent auction, dinner, music, and dancing. Realtor volunteers will be helping to garner event sponsors, collect auction items, sell tickets, and help raise funds to support these worthy organizations. I hope you will join our Realtor family in supporting this event by attending, donating an auction item, participating in the event’s silent and live auction, and/or becoming an event sponsor. Your funds will go to the Santa Fe Children’s Museum where children and their families realize the joys of learning through play and discovery.

Rubel “Paco” Arguello is a Santa Fe native and chief executive of the Santa Fe Association of Realtors. Contact him at paco@sfar.com.