Board of Realtors Raises $11,200 for Local Non Profit
Fort Smith, Ark.: On Friday, January 19, a Gala was held to raise awareness and funds for The Riverview Hope Campus. The Board was able to raise $11,200 for Hope Campus by selling almost 200 tickets, purchasing and donating a ‘Cruise for 2’, and holding a small auction.
The Riverview Hope Campus, established in 2017, has been founded on caring for homelessness and poverty in the Fort Smith Area. Having filled every bed within 4 four days of opening the Hope Campus has reached their maximum capacity.
Executive Director Chris Joannides emphasized the need for monetary funding during the Gala. “My most common question asked is what can I do to help. I need sponsorships to insure our continued successful outcomes,” Joannides said.
The Board of Realtors is a membership based 501(c) non-profit. They work hard to improve the community.
“Our main goal and main purpose is to protect homeowners and property rights,” Regina Flesher, the CEO of the Fort Smith Board of Realtors, said. “If you’re doing improvements on your community, people are going to want to live there, which ultimately helps sell properties.”
The Hope Campus has been a vital part of improving the community by providing shelter, food, and other necessities to those in the area.
“We got on board with the Hope Campus back when it was just an idea and we wanted to be a part of it,” Flesher said.
During the Gala guests were able to hear from Joannides as he described the success of the Campus since its opening on September 29, 2017. Some of the Campus’ successes include filling over 8,000 beds, 18 housing vouchers, more than 30,000 meals served at $.02 per meal, 20 employed residents, and over 264 visits to Mercy clinic.
Going forward, this Gala is going to be an annual event. Flesher emphasized that the Board of Directors hopes to be increasing the number of funds they raise yearly.
“This is the first year, so we look forward to improve annually and [for the Gala to] become more popular,” Flesher said.
Those who sponsored the event includes Mercy, Western Arkansas Title Services, Breeden, Gateway Mortgage Company, Capital Abstract & Title Co., First Financial Mortgage, Arvest Bank, Armstrong Bank, and Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders. The Board of Realtors is currently seeking sponsors for the 2019 Gala. For more information on how to get involved contact Regina Flesher at 479-783-0655 or [email protected].