http://www.comefindgrace.com/content.cfm?id=326

Print Friendly

http://apps.facebook.com/fundrazr/activity/5c1cfa2f3dd64de8a8d893826ece0ecb?type=endorsement

After all…it is the season for friends and colleagues to come together to help others! Oh what great things can be accomplished when we work together. Thank you, thank you to the good folks in Dayton for their generosity in giving time and money and, most of all, inspiration!

Print Friendly

Pat Sherman’s personal hill is simply her being able to get out of her room and to go outside with her lab, Bella…the dog she needs to keep…the dog who offers unconditional love. To climb her hill she needs the wheelchair we wrote about last week.

Our individual hills come in all shapes and sizes and in various disguises. A hard climb for one may be a casual walk for another. For those of us who find it rather easy to climb are capable of taking others with us on the journey.

Let’s help Pat’s climb to experience a prettier view by funding that wheelchair that offers a vehicle for some independence from the pain of isolation and loneliness. Some have already sent funds…our collective hill is the need for more money.

As our business over the years has been generous to us let us be generous to our needy Brothers and Sisters in the Realtor® Family to help relieve their sufferings.

Checks should be made payable to
For Pat’s Sake
P.O. Box 242263,
Little Rock, AR 72223

Want to talk about it? Call me, Nick French, 501-442-5424

Thanks in advance…

Print Friendly

We are well into two and a half years since Pat’s tragic fall and of Pat’s being in a care facility. Now the current facility says she can keep Bella, her companion yellow lab, if she is capable of caring for her…which she can do if she gets a special wheelchair. Therapy dog, companion, loving dog, family, call her what you will; but Bella is Pat’s only daily constant companion who shows her love.

Pat is in such bad shape that it requires, according to her doctors, a very special apparatus for her to have mobility…. How special? A very special wheelchair…$8,000 special.

Her Tuesday Sisters: Tammy Fadler, Gail French and Glenda Williamson are seeking to raise the funds needed. I, Nick French, join the effort.

We need to raise the funds ourselves since NAR decided that Benevolent Funds should be created and run by local and state associations. There are no national Realtor® funds available. As far as we know, there are no local or state Realtor® benevolent funds in Dayton or Ohio, Pat’s home. If a reader knows of any, please let us know.

Help us give our fellow Realtor® a boost…a little compassion goes a long way to easing the emotional pain and putting a smile on a needy face. Comfort, healing, courage and hope are what we, working together, can provide….a quality life. It’s about Pat and her beloved Bella.

As an aside, NAR’s work group met in the winter to make the determination that only states and locals should have benevolent funds with no national benevolent fund or cushion. The report was due out in August, but I have been told it will now be this month. It will take time to establish and fund any new funds. Meanwhile our Realtor® Family has pressing needs. We have made progress as NAR will have guides and recommendations for funds to be established. There is also a session scheduled at NAR in Anaheim on benevolent funds and the report.

Back to our Sister Pat’s plight:
Checks should be made payable to For Pat’s Sake, P.O. Box 242263,
Little Rock, AR 72223

Print Friendly

There are reports of Realtor® victims of natural disasters. What vehicle do we have to aid them in their time of deep distress? None if there are no local or state benevolent funds, and they are very few.
Besides natural disasters Realtors® suffer catastrophic results of accident, injury, and illness.
NAR’s proposal to be voted on this week includes over five years $201,400,000 for political survival; $176,225,000 for image; $0 for benevolent funds.
“One of the greatest acts of kindness and compassion we can do for those around us is to give hope.” is a quote from Realtor.org referring to the efforts of the REALTORS® Relief Foundation citing tornado victims in Alabama. It is time to extend that hope to our own brother and sister Realtors®.

Come on NAR…We know you care…Now show the Realtor® Family how much you really care by establishing a BenevolentFoundation.

Nick French
CDPE CRB CRS GRI SRS

Print Friendly

Are their funds available to those who have lost everything; and, in some instances, the provider, the moneymaker, the ability to produce income? As we campaigned for a Benevolent Foundation for funds to help as the last resort in such instances we were told from the national level of NAR that the help should come from state and local benevolent funds. How many are there in these several states? We only know of a couple of local funds.

Magnitude of disaster can consume a pool, where available, of funds. Why is there no NAR Benevolent Foundation to supplement locals and states facing huge losses?

Last fall we asked for $2,000,000 to seed a Benevolent Foundation. We were turned down.

This month NAR will vote a dues increase of $40 per member per year based on a five year projection of needs for political survival. Yes, political survival is critical to our industry.

The $35 per member per year is still assessed for public relations…Realtor® image campaign. Image is critical also.

Just as critical is survival of Realtor® family members who have incurred tragic circumstances and need assistance. $2,000,000 spread over five years would be $ .40
per member.

$40 + $35 per member per year at 1,007,000* members totals $377,625,000. The $2,000,000 we were asking for is only 1/2 of 1% of that amount. Please note that in our calculations we have ignored RPAC dollars and other dues dollars. We are figuring only on the two special funds.
NAR answered our request by forming a Work Group to provide a model for states and locals that wished to establish a benevolent fund. I was told the work group met and that the decision would be forthcoming this month in Washington. That’s all we know…not who was on the group, what was their formal charge, when they met or what their conclusions were. We have not been made aware of anyone who supports the campaign being appointed to the Work Group.

Remember, we were told that Realtor® Family members were better served by states and locals. Would those in the South who find themselves in the catastrophic situation of the tornado aftermath think that that is true today? Do you? Is it time for NAR to step up to give compassionate financial help to the Realtor® Family?

*NAR membership as reported in April NAR Town Hall Meeting on the WEB.

Print Friendly

My husband and I are preparing our house to sell. In doing so, I think about Pat. She not only is not physically capable to do such a task, she has no house. It certainly makes me grateful that I am able to accomplish tasks as these that are not my favorite thing to do on a Saturday. It is all relative. Pat has a closet in a home for disabled and elderly people, where she resides at Bethany in Daytona. She has had many closets as she had been in several such places over the past three years. She does not have a pantry to clean out and organize or any cabinets to wipe down, no home to de-clutter and depersonalize. All of this is not really a lot of fun – but put into perspective, it is a privilege!

My husband and I are choosing new cabinets and granite counter tops, as well as flooring and tile for the bath in our new condo. Pretty time consuming. For us it’s fun and exciting to look toward the future. Pat’s future is managing her pain to survive the day. When I think like this, I will never complain again.

In summary – My favorite phrase rings out again “Each day is a gift, that’s why they call it the present”!

Glenda Williamson

Print Friendly

A simple explanation and clarification of actions taken to economize would be helpful.

Certainly the concern about the effect of compulsory dues for political purposes would have on voluntary RPAC contributions has been considered. What is the answer?

Our proposal for a Benevolent Foundation suggested a one time, initial funding of about$2/member capped at $2,000,000. Subsequent funding would be voluntary contributions like the Realtors® Relief Foundation solicits for its work for non-Realtors®.

One of our proposal proponents in the west suggested a NAR Benevolent Foundation be used to supplement local and state benevolent funds when there are needs far greater than they could meet. That is a wonderful idea. To do this we now need locals and states to step forward to form their own funds.

There are many great ideas to help our less fortunate Realtors® through benevolent funds. We simply need a work group to consider the possibilities and to sort out the layers and the details.

Meanwhile….the suffering continues in many areas where there are no sources for assistance. Let us always be mindful of the needs of others.

Print Friendly

NAR is very sensitive to these issues as evidenced by the proposed 50% dues increase of $40. At 1,000,000+ members that’s $40,000,000+…..per year.

Likewise, some of our Realtor® Family are suffering from their personal storms.

NAR is sensitive to Realtors’® needing the tools and political climate to be successful. NAR President Ron Phipps responded to an e-mail I sent February 2 asking the status of the work group addressing the Benevolent Foundation issues. He responded:
“The work group has already met…not sure when they meet again.
Will have an update by midyear.
The leadership team is working on many initiatives…Its primary focus is on
working to help Realtors make a living.”

No doubt the primary focus is correct. However, we feel as if NAR should not only be sensitive to the issues and needs of those Realtors® who can help themselves, but should also be sensitive to those Realtors® who cannot help themselves because of catastrophic disease, family issues, accident or natural disaster.

We do not know the specific charge to the work group other than what was reported in the Leadership Team report. We do not know who was asked to participate in the work group. We do not know who, if anyone, was asked to contribute to the work group.

Regardless of our sensitivity to victims of natural disasters, our sensitivity to Realtors’® success of those who can help themselves, our sensitivity to political issues we must be sensitive to our less fortunate Realtor® Family’s individual plights.

Should we not always be mindful of all the needs of others? Our Pat is still suffering as are others.

Print Friendly

Dear Friends,

I am not quite sure how to write this email. As you may know, Christchurch, NZ suffered a catastrophic earthquake at approximately 12.50pm on Tuesday 22nd February 2011. They have just now confirmed that although it seemed a completely new earthquake, it was still an aftershock of our quake on 4th September last year. I don’t know which is the scarier thought.

Firstly and most importantly, Dr Fred and Victoria are safe and well, they were in India at the time of the quake, and are still there now. Mandy and I, and our families are alive and safe.

I don’t know how to explain the experience, when the shaking started, Mandy and I dropped under our desks in the office, while it rolled and shook violently, the filing cabinets I think fell over. Neither of us were concerned for our own safety, only that of our children. I do remember yelling “NO – my babies”. When it slowed, we hugged then ran, Mandy did manage to set one of the monitors on its feet. For both of us, the trips to get to our children, seemed to last forever. Mandy lives north-west in Avonhead, and I live in Brighton – one of the hardest hit areas. I must say, I was hysterical after seeing the first church reduced to rubble, driving around and over hills and cracks in the roads, and flooding. I guess a mother’s instinct – but I made it! I got both kids and finally reached home, to scenes of flooding and liquefaction through my garage and up to my door. To this minute, I am still not entirely sure where my stilettos are that I was wearing!

But in the whole scheme of things – we are extremely lucky – we are alive and we haven’t lost anyone that was close to us. The CBD is destroyed, the death toll at this time has risen to 113, with many, many more still under rubble and bricks, in crushed cars – 200 are still missing. The entire city, from the CBD to Sumner and Lyttelton, and over to Brighton is devastated, whether by falling houses, buildings and/or flooding and liquefaction (this is like sinking sand).

I have relocated with my two children down to family in Ashburton, an hour south, until we have power, water and sanitation restored to my neighbourhood. My son’s school is largely damaged, his school bag still there in the damaged classroom.

Mandy, courageously, went back into our office building to successfully reset our server computer, so I am now able to remotely access my computer and therefore send this email. I have also transferred the phone lines through to my cell, so you will be able to reach me, although possibly intermittently.

For those that have emailed and phoned with your love and concerns and prayers, Mandy and I thank you so much. For those that would like to help, please, please, donate, even the smallest amount to our Red Cross, www.redcross.org.nz.

To those that are attending our Boutiques in the coming weeks, I will be in touch directly, whether by phone or email – the Boutiques in Siem Reap and Bali ARE ON. I know that Dr Fred and Victoria will be very, very happy to see you.

So, to end, my apologies if I do not get back to you immediately, I will be in touch as soon as I can.

Take care and I will be in touch soon.

Kind Regards

Suzy deLautour
Customer Relations Manager

Print Friendly