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CHICAGO (September 2, 2020) – The National Association of Realtors® has selected 10 Realtors® as finalists for its 2020 Good Neighbor Awards, which honor NAR members who make an extraordinary difference in their communities through volunteer work. This is the 21st year the Good Neighbor Awards program has recognized Realtor® volunteers who donate time, money and passion to enrich the lives of people in their communities.
“Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, these Realtors® have continued to help their neighbors in impactful and inspiring ways,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, CA. “I am so proud to honor this year’s Good Neighbor Award finalists for their outstanding volunteer work and for exemplifying everything we strive to be as Realtors® and as engaged, compassionate members of a community.”
In the coming weeks, five winners will be selected by a multi-stage, criteria-based judging process. Winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their community charity, including a feature in the November/December issue of REALTOR® Magazine. The winners will also be recognized at the virtual REALTORS® Conference & Expo this November, while five honorable mention selections will receive a $2,500 grant for their respective nonprofit organizations.
The public is invited to weigh in on the 10 finalists at realtor.com/goodneighbor between September 2 and October 2, as the top vote-getter will receive a $2,500 award and the second and third place finishers will each earn $1,250. These ‘Web Choice Favorites’ and the five judged winners will be announced on October 6.
Realtor.com® is the primary sponsor of the Good Neighbor Awards program and also funds the Web Choice Favorite grants.
“The events of this past year have only reinforced how important homes and communities are to the fabric of our society, and the Good Neighbor Awards finalists exemplify the commitment to others that we all need right now,” said realtor.com® CMO Mickey Neuberger. “In a time of social distance, the Realtors® recognized by these awards have found ways to bring people together to achieve the greater good.”
NAR’s 10 Good Neighbor Awards finalists (and links to their profile articles) are:
Eric and Janet Baucom, Coastlands Real Estate Group; Ventura, Calif.
Cofounders of Project Bicycle Love, Eric and Janet Baucom have donated 350 bikes and helmets to foster and low-income children and to teenagers who lack a means of transportation to work. These gifts provide kids with some independence amidst an unstable home life. magazine.realtor/EricJanetBaucom
Linda K. Brown, Amax Real Estate; Springfield, Mo.
Cofounder of Eden Village, Linda Brown transforms abandoned mobile home properties into villages of tiny homes that provide permanent housing to the chronically disabled homeless. To date, Brown and her husband have raised $4.75 million to place 36 tiny homes, with the goal of making their hometown a city “where no one sleeps outside.” magazine.realtor/LindaBrown
Jeff Fields, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty; Scottsdale, Ariz.
After losing several friends to suicide, Jeff Fields, past board president of Teen Lifeline, is committed to saving teens from what he calls “the most preventable death.” Under Fields’s leadership, the organization serves more than 28,000 youth through a peer-to-peer teen crisis hotline while providing community education on suicide prevention. magazine.realtor/JeffFields
Debra Griggs, RE/MAX Central; Norfolk, Va.
Since 1999, Debra Griggs has provided housing for 1,200 pets through her nonprofit, Animal Resources of Tidewater, in addition to offering spay/neuter services and veterinary care funding for low-income families. Griggs’s efforts as a state-level lobbyist for animal rights have significantly reduced Virginia’s shelter intake numbers and increased pet save rates. magazine.realtor/DebraGriggs
Tamara House, RE/MAX Centerstone; Lafayette, Ind.
To honor her son’s memory, Tamara House raised $3.6 million to cofound Grant’s House, an after-school and summer program for children with special needs. House used her real estate experience and relationships with contractors to renovate the 50,000-square-foot building, which now features 20 rooms with various activities and recreation opportunities offered for children with disabilities. magazine.realtor/TamaraHouse
Vickie Lobo, Einstein Realty; Fontana, Calif.
Cancer survivor Vickie Lobo founded Knock Knock Angels to help people start over after they’ve faced and overcome difficult situations like domestic violence, homelessness and drug addiction. Lobo partners with local philanthropic and community organizations to furnish new apartments with donated furniture, dishes, towels and anything else these individuals would need to begin their new life. magazine.realtor/VickieLobo
Greg Masucci, Coldwell Banker Residential; Washington, D.C. and Atoka Properties; Purcellville, Va.
Greg Masucci and his wife founded a nonprofit farm that employs young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These young men and women learn to grow produce from seed to harvest, attend farmer’s markets as ambassadors for people with disabilities and enjoy an environment that builds their skills and confidence. magazine.realtor/GregMasucci
Sandra Nardoci, Berkshire Hathaway Blake; Albany, N.Y.
As cofounder and lead volunteer for the Capital District YMCA’s Circle of Champs, Sandra Nardoci has spent 28 years dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic, life-threatening illnesses. Kids attend a free summer day camp and whole families are invited to participate in monthly social events and activities at no cost, creating a community bond for parents and siblings all experiencing similar circumstances. magazine.realtor/SandraNardoci
Janice Ash Sialiano, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage Surfside; Surfside Beach, S.C.
After volunteering when Hurricane Hugo devastated her coastal community, Janice Ash Sialiano wanted to do more. Inspired by neighbors who had nowhere to spend the holidays, she founded the Community Christmas Dinner. Now more than thirty years later, the event has grown to require 500 volunteers to serve 12,000 guests each holiday season. magazine.realtor/JaniceAshSialiano
Linda Wolf, KW Metro Center; Alexandria, Va.
By donating new toys and high-tech electronics, Linda Trinkle Wolf makes hospital stays and scary medical treatments easier for the children of active-duty military parents. Her nonprofit, Mission: M4, funds $50,000 movie players for MRI machines at military hospitals – including the Walter Reed Medical Center – to help ease kids’ anxiety during difficult and often life-altering procedures. magazine.realtor/LindaTrinkleWolf
NAR’s Good Neighbor Awards program is supported by primary sponsor realtor.com® and Wells Fargo Home Lending. Nominees were judged on their personal contribution of time as well as financial and material contributions to benefit their cause.
Realtor.com® makes buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, realtor.com® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals, realtor.com® is a trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today’s on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS®. For more information, visit realtor.com®.
Wells Fargo Home Lending is one of the nation’s leading originators and the leading servicer of residential mortgages, offering home loans to consumers through the country’s largest network of mortgage locations and bank branches, online, and via phone. With more than 4,500 Home Mortgage Consultants across the country, expanded digital capabilities and products and programs for today’s market, Wells Fargo is committed to meeting Realtor® expectations and homebuyer needs. Focused on paving a path to stability and financial success for underserved communities, Wells Fargo is a proud sponsor of both the Good Neighbor Awards program and Volunteering Works, both of which recognize the extraordinary contributions made by Realtors® in the communities where we, together, live and serve.
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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