Photograph by Jean Newton

From left: Event committee member Debby Patterson, co-chairs Robert Reid and Dale Anne Collings, and Debbie Wade, executive director of the Housing Industry Foundation, helped make the Silicon Valley Home for the Holidays auction a success in raising funds for the homeless.




Realtors make a bid on behalf of the homeless

By Jean Newton

In the spirit of helping less fortunate people, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors and affiliate members raised their hands at the fourth annual Home for the Holidays auction to donate approximately $45,000 to the Housing Industry Foundation, an organization providing assistance to the homeless in the Bay Area.

"We can't thank the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors enough for this generous gift," said Debbie Wade, executive director of the Housing Industry Foundation. "This is a significant contribution that allows us to help individuals and families faced with a housing crisis get back on their feet."

The fundraising event, held at St Michael's Church in Saratoga, featured a live auction and silent auction, a raffle, spirited entertainment and food donated by area restaurants, including Pat Smith's Extravaganza, Harry's Hoffbrau, DNL Catering, Tapestry, Max's Opera Cafe, Delicioso, Gordon Biersch Brewery, The Basin and Bandera Restaurant.

Co-chairs of the event, Robert Reid of Coldwell Banker in Saratoga and Dale Anne Collings of Coldwell Banker in Cupertino, attributed the success of the event to dedicated committee members, the attendance of more than 400 Realtors and affiliate members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors and to the generous sponsors.

Major sponsors included Siamack Shariat of Bankers Network Corp., Kay Mauer of World Savings, Rusty Karracker of Property Inspection Services, Alice Nuzzo and Alicia Tuvel of Coldwell Banker of Los Altos, Nomita Shahani of Alain Pinel Realtors in Saratoga and Bridgespan Title. Many additional sponsors also contributed cash, auction items or made other donations.

"It was gratifying to see such great participation and exciting to find out how much money we were able to raise to help others who are less fortunate," said Jeff Barnett of Alain Pinel Realtors in Los Gatos, who served as the master of ceremonies.

The Housing Industry Foundation, a nonprofit charity organized in 1989 by members of the apartment, real estate and building industries, assists individuals and families to either remain in or return to stable housing through emergency housing grants. In addition, the group takes a hands-on approach by providing funding and volunteers for special housing projects or renovations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The Housing Industry Foundation is also the lead agency for housing with Community Agencies Disaster Response Effort to respond to housing needs in the event of a disaster.

"We assist with rent, mortgage, utilities, repairs and security deposits on a one-time emergency basis," Wade said . "We also undertake rehab projects for local shelters and transitional housing programs to improve facilities for agencies who are helping previously homeless adults and families re-establish the skills and resources necessary for self-sufficiency."

Last year the Housing Industry Foundation completed eight extensive shelter-and apartment-remodeling projects with cash donations of $96,000 and in-kind donations of $92,000 as well as countless volunteer hours contributed by members of the organization. More than 334 adults and 456 children on the verge of becoming homeless received emergency housing grants totaling more than $260,000 in assistance.

While the word "homeless" sometimes conjures up an image of someone sleeping on a park bench or pushing a shopping cart filled with belongings down the street, the reality is that many people--even those making six figures--could be just one paycheck away from becoming homeless.

Wade related an example of a program engineer who was a victim of the dot-com bust. Although he made more than $100,000 in a job in the high-tech field, he was laid off, eventually lost his home and was reduced to living in his car until he found help through a transitional program supported by the Housing Industry Foundation.

"It's sometimes hard for people to realize that anyone could become homeless under the right circumstances, either due to a long illness, an accident, a job loss or because of a fire or other disaster. The Housing Industry Foundation is there to provide emergency assistance without a lot of bureaucracy," Wade said. "Our group was founded by people in the housing industry who want to give something back. Their dedication to helping others makes our organization able to respond quickly when needed."

Many members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors actively participate as volunteers in Housing Industry Foundation shelter renovation work days and other events in addition to the Home for the Holidays fundraiser. Realtors and affiliates also recently contributed $10,000 to help the families of the victims of the September 11 tragedy through the group's Charitable Foundation. Silicon Valley Association of Realtors President Jeff Barnett says Realtors are willing to help out because of their strong commitment to get involved in the communities where they live and work.

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The Housing Industry Foundation collaborates with other nonprofit groups in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties who provide referrals for grants and emergency assistance. For more information about the Housing Industry Foundation, contact Executive Director Debbie Wade at 408.369.9900.

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