Heart House Board Member and Austin realtor gives 25% of her commission to charity - every time

Austin realtor gives 25% of her commission to charity - every time
Written by http://givingcityaustin.wordpress.com/

So let me get this straight: Give Realty gives 25% of its commission to charity? In my name?

Yeah, I think that’s how it works. I get this realtor, Laurie Loew of Give Realty, to help me find a house. She makes a commission when I buy it - from what I remember commission is 6% of the house’s selling price. So if I buy the house for $200,000, for example, Laurie and the other realtor who worked with the seller split a commission of $12,000 total or $6000 each.
But then… while the other realtor pockets all most of the $6000 (their broker/office usually gets a portion), Laurie pockets $4500 and gives the remaining $1500 to the charity of my choice. I get to make the donation. I write the check. I get the tax deduction.

So what’s the catch?

I met Laurie at Jo’s yesterday to ask her about that. The thing is, there isn’t a catch. She just wants to do this. She just wants to help the community. What makes this so odd, mostly, is that no one else is doing this. She’s done the research and cannot find a realtor anywhere in the country who is giving away so much of their commission - and in their clients’ names. I mean, I think about moving once in a while, but this makes me want to go house hunting immediately. It’s kind of unbelievable.

Lots of people want to help the community, but how many can take 25% of their income and give it away, and not even in their own name?

But still you’re wondering… what’s the catch? Let me break this down for you:

…she’s independently wealthy? Laurie used to be wealthy-ish, but she got a divorce, gave up on the stuff aquisition, and started to feel good about her life. So now she’s trading wealth for health and happiness. Go figure.

….she’s taking a cut somewhere else? Nope. She’s met with accountants, lawyers, entrepreneurs, lots of people to make sure she’s doing this in a straight-up, totally kosher way.

…she’s doing this as a marketing gimmick? She’s not, actually. But think about it… even if she is… so what? She gives 25% of her commission to charity. Nice gimmick.

….she’s a little nuts? I know why you’re thinking this. You’re thinking this because you think realtors in general are greedy or lazy or a little bit of both, so she must be a kinda crazy. But a.) realtors can be cool people and b.) Laurie’s not crazy. She’s extremely sane, in fact. And she’s definitely not greedy or lazy. She worked her butt off for years to become one of the best realtors in Austin before starting Give Realty on her own.

The thing is, there is no catch. She’s just a super-nice lady, and in fact, she has two other super-nice people working with her, Robin LeTourneau and Joe Menefe. I hope you’ll hire them or refer them to someone you know who’s looking to buy or sell their home. Because it might be fun writing a big old check to the nonprofit of your choice.

Learn more about Give Realty here: http://www.giverealtyaustin.com/

(Since August 2008, Give Realty Austin has already given away $7,400 to local nonprofits. And within the next month, Laurie thinks they’ll be at $10,000. What an incredible impact one realtor can have!)

Abe Arevalo, Super Volunteer

If Abe Arevalo could bottle up and sell his energy and charisma, he would be a millionaire in a month. He has been an inspiring volunteer with Heart House for more than a year. As a behind the scenes volunteer, Abe has consulted us on several software projects that have strengthened the infrastructure of Heart House. He is also a member of HHVAC (Heart House Volunteer Advisory Committee) and has contributed such well thought out proposals for improvement that he was recently voted in as our newest member of the Heart House Board of Directors.

And, Abe doesn’t stop there. You will also find him working directly with the children on homework and activities. When asked what his favorite volunteer memory was, he didn’t talk about helping the staff with our computer projects, instead he mentioned the kids, “It would have to be just coming in and getting an enthusiastic hi from the kids, sometimes it's literal and other times you can tell by their reaction when you walk in the door.”

Born in Brownville, Texas, Abe moved north to attend school at the University of Minnesota where he majored in Electrical Engineering. He currently works at IBM as a Software Engineer for the Linux Technology Center, working on finding solutions to Linux defects found on IBM hardware.

Other interesting facts about Abe Arevalo:

Favorite hobbies?
I love to play basketball, I like to work out in general. I'm a big movie watcher, whether it’s TV, Netflix, Blockbuster, Theater, if it's on a screen, I'll watch it! Outside of that, spending time with family and going out with friends.

Favorite food
Donuts, I never get sick of them.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?
To fly, because I'd save so much on gas and wouldn't have to worry about speeding tickets (which I've gotten here and there).

Student Spotlight: Emily and Gabriel

Besides ALWAYS being on task, Emily goes out of her way to help her classmates. She has a great sense of humor and is constantly smiling and laughing. She also has quite a curious streak. Emily is full of questions about the world around her, which we love to see at Heart House!

Gabriel has come a long way over this course of this semester. He has a wonderful attitude and carries himself with great decorum. Gabriel continues to impress us more and more everyday as his thoughtful behavior grows.

Student Spotlight: Juana and Adrian

These are just some of the wonderful children you help support with your gifts of time and funding. THANK YOU for making a difference for these future citizens!

This is Juana’s first year at Heart House, but it feels like she has been a part of our group forever! Her program leader describes her as incredibly helpful, cheerful, and hard-working. She takes great care of her two younger brothers who also attend Heart House and also watches over kids in the program. We look forward to spending even more time with her in the Spring!

Adrian is one of the most respectful students we have come across. He shows great personal discipline and is always one of the first students to offer a helping hand.

Read Along with Heart House

Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

This latest whimsical work from Scieszka and Smith (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; The Stinky Cheese Man) is bound to stretch out the old thinking cap. The day after her teacher announces, "You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem," the narrator is afflicted with a "math curse" that affects how she views every facet of her day ("Everything seems to be a problem"). A minimum of the questions she asks herself are entirely logical ("How many quarts are in a gallon?"); some are far-fetched extrapolations (if an M&M is about one centimeter long and the Mississippi River is about 4000 kilometers long, how many M&Ms would it take to measure the length of this river?); and a happily hefty number are sheer nonsense: "I undo 8 buttons plus 2 shoelaces. I subtract 2 shoes. I multiply times 2 socks and divide by 3 pillows to get 5 sheep, remainder 1, which is all I need to count before I fall asleep." Like the text, Smith's wonderfully wacky collage-like art will give readers ample food for thought-even if it's part junk food. Here's a morsel: "Does tunafish + tunafish = fournafish?" Kids will want seconds-count on it.

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

When Judy and Peter find a board game in the park, they take it home, hoping to alleviate their boredom. One live lion, an erupting volcano, and a dozen destructive monkeys later, the children are no longer bored. Their jungle adventure game has come to life! Chris Van Allsburg is a master at walking the line between fantasy and reality. His unusually sculptured drawings (familiar to the many devoted fans of the Caldecott-winning The Polar Express and The Garden of Abdul Gasazi) convey the magical transition of a normal house to an exotic jungle. Readers will tremble along with Judy and Peter, urging them to roll the dice that will plunge them from one perilous predicament into another. Jumanji, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, is sure to amaze and thrill even the most jaded young reader.

Do you want to make a contribution to the Heart House library and reading program?
We would be proud for you to be a reading buddy by donating funds or a gift certificate to Heart House so we can expand our reading program. For more information, please contact Megan Heredia, our Development Director, by email or phone, (512) 751-6942.

The ACTIVE Life Challenge

This month, Heart House is excited to announce a new collaboration with ACTIVE Life! As part of the ACTIVE Life Challenge, students will participate in a free, 8-week, fun, incentive-based health and fitness program for our sites, students, staff and their families. Heart House students will form teams with their families and complete weekly health and fitness challenges, which bring the team members together as they explore new physical activities and nutrition topics.

The ACTIVE Life Rewards Card gives our children VIP access at the ACTIVE Life Tour event which will be coming to our area in Spring 2009. We look forward to a challenging spring full of exciting, healthy activities for our students and families!

In addition to receiving the rewards that come from a healthy, ACTIVE lifestyle, teams who complete the challenge will receive an ACTIVE Life Rewards Card at the completion of the ACTIVE Life Challenge Program. The ACTIVE Life Rewards Card gives our children special discounts on healthy, fun products and services at local businesses, including a loyal Heart House donor, 1379 Athletic Wear.

“Read, Write, Rock On!”

The goal of this month's theme is to allow the Heart House students to experience all of the fun and unique ways reading and writing is used in self-discovery, hobbies and entertainment, careers, and life in general. Inside and outside of the classroom are both equally challenging places to help kids improve their literacy skills. With this curriculum, we hope to reconnect the Heart House children with the wide world of literacy in all its forms.

Some special project topics and activities include:

• Phonics & Phonemic Awareness for Early Elementary
• Reader’s Theatre Activities for Lower & Upper Elementary
• Poetry Activities
• Host Your Own Poetry Slam
• Lyrics & Music
• Create Your Own Cookbook
• Reading & Writing in a Digital World
• Pen Pals & Mailboxes
• Book Buddy: a special reading and writing project pairing older students with younger ones
• Banned Books: a look into why certain writing is challenged and whether books should be banned

And here's what we studied recently:
Recently we have been busy bees investigating fact versus fiction for our “Myth Busters” theme. These activities were focused on scientific investigation in order to create well-informed hypotheses, observations, and conclusions. Some of the topics we explored were common misconceptions about insects and animals, fruits and plants, and life beyond Earth! We wrapped up our unit with our own spin on a popular kids’ game show, which we renamed “Are You Smarter Than a Heart House Kid?: Myth Busters edition”. The kids beat the socks off of the Heart House staff!

Special Guests

• Kelly and Alex Freeman brought in worm bin to explore the benefits of worms in our environment.
• Katie Kizziar and Kate Monzo conducted a scientific investigation of how to build flying objects other than airplanes.
• Bat Conservation International discussed common misconceptions about bats and brought in several types of real live bats for kids to see!
  

Join Our Learning Community
We love special guests at Heart House! In the past, we've had everyone from ballerinas to slam poets to Scuba Steve visit us. You're invited to join us one day after school to share your talent and passion with the children. If you would like to be a special guest or organize a special project with your friends, please let us know. You can call our Volunteer Coordinator at (512) 929-8187 or email us at volunteer@hearthouse.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

Heart House Needs Community Volunteers

Volunteers are the key to ongoing well-being of Heart House. Their time and life experiences bring vital energy into the lives of Heart House kids. Volunteering at Heart House is a fun and uplifting experience, and all it takes is a few hours a month.

For current opportunities working with children, serving on a committee, or assisting the hard-working staff of Heart House, please click here! We currently have these opportunities available:
Buzz Committee Members
Activity Time Volunteers
Behind the Scenes Volunteers
Presentation Volunteers
Project Manager, Expansion to Heart House Houston
Project Manager, Texas Expansion
Earned Income Intern
Special Projects Intern: Staff Training System
Communications Intern
Technology Intern

Be sure to check out our website at www.hearthouse.org/volunteering for upcoming orientations at Heart House. You may attend either location for an orientation, regardless of which Heart House you will volunteer at. For more information on volunteering at Heart House Austin, contact Shelly-Marie Rios, our Volunteer Coordinator, at 512-929-8187 / volunteer@hearthouse.org.

Student Spotlight: Scarlet and Victoria

Scarlet has been coming to Heart House for two years and we have enjoyed watching her grow into the thoughtful, intelligent, and helpful little lady that she is! She is always bringing the staff holiday cards and gifts (which we love of course!), but more than that, she is always giving her best, whether it is homework, reading, or participating in activities. Even though she can be shy at times, she is such a caring and kind Heart House kid. We always look forward to her smile when she walks in each day. This is what out Program Director has to say about her: “Scarlet brought me a birthday dinner and cake on HER birthday! I couldn’t believe it! She is always doing nice things for kids and staff at Heart House. I am so glad she is here!”

Victoria is a great helper in the classroom. She is also imaginative, energetic and kind. Victoria is a joy to have in the program and we are very proud of her!

This Month's Program Sponsor: The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

This month's sponsor is The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, one of Heart House's first funders. They took a leap of faith with us, granting us significant funds before Heart House had even opened! Fast forward six years, and the foundation remains one of Heart House's biggest supporters. While MSDF continues to support Heart House's day-to-day operations and the afterschool program itself, the foundation has made some legacy gifts to Heart House that will help us to build capacity and better serve our children for years to come.

A recent example of MSDF's generous, engaged philanthropy was when our wonderful Program Officer, Nichole Aston, approached Heart House and asked us where we could best use new funds and what our challenges were. We told the foundation that Heart House needed a more efficient, web-based database for tracking data on children, volunteers and our program. Additionally, we wanted to grow our pool of loyal private donors. MSDF issued a grant allowing Heart House to develop an efficient new database and challenging us to raise more private donor funds, rewarding us with a matching grant to maximize the impact of the donations from other Heart House supporters.

Heart House was honored to nominate MSDF for the Central Texas Afterschool Network's 2008 "Donor of the Year" award. Nichole Aston accepted this award at the recent Breakfast of Champions, celebrating achievement and support of out-of-school-time programs in Central Texas.

CTAN Master of Ceremonies, Herman Whitney, CTAN President, Tameka Thomas, and Nichole Aston from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Heart House values its partnership with MSDF, and we consider ourselves so lucky to be funded by a foundation with such integrity and high standards. Thank you, MSDF, for making such an amazing impact at Heart House over the past six years, and for all that you do everywhere to "transform the lives of children living in urban poverty through better health and education."