By Michael Pierce, 2022 KCRAR President
As REALTORS®, our primary role is interacting with the community. That can be said on some level for any profession, but for us especially, our business is built on community. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the help of our community. That’s why I believe giving back to that community is not only a kind gesture, but a duty. This can take shape in many ways.
Each year, REALTORS® and other industry professionals gather together with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City for KCRAR’s annual REALTORS® Rock the Block event. It’s a great demonstration of the REALTOR® spirit, and I’m excited to see it in action on Sept. 13 and 14 in the Amourdale neighborhood in KCK.
REALTORS® work with Habitat KC each year at Rock the Block to donate their time, funds and labor to local homeowners through work on their homes. This could be painting, landscaping or whatever they can do to improve the homes and ultimately the quality of life of the people in these homes and communities.
Sign-ups for this year’s Rock the Block are full, but there are plenty of other ways for REALTORS® to give back to the community. A great example of that is the work Dennis Curtin is doing with Mimi’s Pantry, a non-profit he founded to fight food insecurity in the Northland. I recently visited Dennis’ operation. From logistics, to efficiency, to the value guests of Mimi’s pantry see, no aspect of maximizing contribution to the community was overlooked. He is currently a finalist for the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) Good Neighbor Award. With a win, this would mean even more grant funds for Mimi’s Pantry to further impact our community. You can vote for him at realtor.com/goodneighbor.
I’m honored to serve and represent a group of REALTORS® so dedicated to our community. Dennis’s recent honor is significant. He was selected from REALTORS® across the country to be one of 10 finalists. Dennis is not the only Kansas City REALTOR® who has accomplished that feat. Including Dennis, we’ve had three NAR Good Neighbor honorees come from Kansas City in the last four years. That’s truly an amazing affirmation of the sense of community we have here in Kansas City and in our industry.
I strongly encourage you to give back in whatever way you can. Whether it’s through involvement in Habitat for Humanity, Mimi’s Pantry, Veterans Community Project or whatever cause holds most meaning for you. Our success is not a reflection of how many homes we sell, it is a reflection of our contribution to others.
