Realtors donate $370,000 to local charities in 2023

More than 200 Realtors converged at the Ramallah American Club with the goal of packing 75,000 meals for disadvantaged children during the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors annual Hunger Fight Pack-a-Thon on Dec. 7. Within three hours, the Realtors prepared 76,126 meals, surpassing their goal.

The event was sponsored by the NEFAR Charitable Foundation, which donated $33,000 to cover the cost of the food supplies as well as 2,640 books for underserved preschoolers in the region. The food and book combination supported Hunger Fights’ “Food for their bellies, books for their brains” program. Also, to aid in Hunger Fight’s distribution of food throughout the region, NEFAR donated two box trucks worth more than $100,000 to the nonprofit in 2022.

“NEFAR was proud to provide more than 200 volunteers for the packing event with Hunger Fight,” said 2023 NEFAR President Diana Galavis. “Realtors together with real estate industry affiliates joined to pack 76,126 meals for children and families in Northeast Florida. Hunger Fight is an amazing organization, and NEFAR is proud to partner with them again to provide children and families access to food to end hunger and provide those in need with tools for success.” 
The NEFAR/Hunger Fight Pack-a-Thon capped what has been a very charitable year for the Realtors Association in Northeast Florida. Including Hunger Fight, NEFAR’s Charitable Foundation, which is funded by gifts from the 12,000-strong NEFAR membership, has donated $370,568 to nonprofits and charitable projects on the First Coast.

The following is a list of donations given by the NEFAR Charitable Foundation this year.

• $100,000 to the National Association of Realtors’ Realtor Relief Fund to assist real estate professionals and people within their communities when natural disasters strike.
• $100,000 to the Florida Realtors Disaster Relief Fund to assist real estate professionals and members of the community in the wake of Hurricane Nicole
• $17,568 to the Marine Science Center at the University of North Florida to help create a “NEFAR” oyster bar in the St. Johns River.
• $10,000 to the St. Johns Housing Partnership to provide painting and flooring for its veterans’ project Patriot Place
• $15,000 as the presenting sponsor of the Best Buddies Champion of the Year North Florida Gala. Three NEFAR Realtors served as champions to raise money for Best Buddies this year.
• $15,000 to K9s for Warriors in Ponte Vedra
• $15,000 to Morning Star School
• $15,000 to Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida
• $15,000 to the Jewish Community Alliance
• $15,000 to be a sponsor at the gala supporting the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation. Former professional tennis player MaliVai Washington is a Realtor and longtime member of NEFAR.
• $10,000 gift to MaliVai Washington for his youth foundation as a match to the National Association of Realtors prize of $10,000 for winning the national Good Neighbor Award.
• $10,000 to the Coastal Conservation Association as a sponsor for its annual banquet that supports the St. Johns River and its aquatic environment.

“Realtors have the reputation of being very generous with their time, talent and treasure when it comes to the Northeast Florida community,” said Galavis. “Nearly every member of NEFAR supports one of the various nonprofits within our region, either through individual giving or through donations to the NEFAR Charitable Foundation. These donations are an expression of appreciation from our association to the community that we love.”