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The sales associates in the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Salem, in conjunction with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares, the company's charitable arm, raised more than $50,000 to benefit Horizons for Homeless Children.
Additionally, they recognized an unsung hero during the Spirit of Home Awards fundraiser held at the Boston Harbor Hotel in Boston. More than 200 real estate industry and business leaders attended the ceremony.
Ninety-five percent of the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage sales associates in the Salem office contribute a portion of their sales commissions and paychecks to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares. Their participation either through monetary or auction item donations enabled Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares to raise the money for Horizons for Homeless Children.
"Every year our Salem sales associates give of themselves to help others in their community," said Christopher Polak, sales manager of the office in Salem. "I am extremely proud of their efforts in helping to support Horizons for Homeless Children."
Established in 1988, Horizons for Homeless Children is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of homeless children and their families in Massachusetts. By offering reliable and safe early education and care for 175 young homeless children in its three Community Children's Centers, Horizons for Homeless Children gives homeless parents an opportunity to search for a job and further their education and helps them secure long-term affordable housing.
In addition, Horizons for Homeless Children has established 140 Playspaces for children in family shelters throughout the state - from Beverly and Hingham to Springfield and Brockton. Through its Playspace Programs, Horizons for Homeless Children reaches more than 2,200 young homeless children per week in Massachusetts.
During the gala, Jeanette Lynch, a preschool teacher at Horizons for Homeless Children's Community Children's Center in Jamaica Plain, was named the recipient of the Community Cares Spirit award. The award recognizes the unsung heroes in our communities whose work positively impacts the homeless or homebound ill.
Lynch teaches children ages 3 to 5 and works hard every day so that the young children in her classroom experiencing homelessness may also experience great compassion. While Lynch and her fellow teachers read and sing with the children, do art projects and work on gross motor skills, they are also very conscious of issues that are more specific to children who have had real trauma in their lives. Lynch travels three hours round trip between her Rhode Island home and the Community Children's Center in Jamaica Plain.
"Jeanette makes sacrifices daily to assist the most vulnerable children in our community," said Rick Loughlin, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage New England. "She is our unsung hero and she is a dedicated citizen who is changing our world for the better. We are extremely proud to honor her."
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares' primary purpose is to provide financial assistance to housing-related causes in local communities. Since its inception, "Cares" has donated millions of dollars to hundreds of nonprofit organizations.
Copyright 2010 Salem Gazette. Some rights reserved
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