The Story of New Story continues…
The young boy perhaps 7 years of age, was intent on the creation in front of him, a sand castle of meticulous styling. He dreamed of one day living in such a place, how different from the shack he now shared with his Mum and 3 older brothers. One day soon, his Mum had told him in hushed tones, there would be a younger than he, perhaps a girl this time.
He felt the wind kick up, but didn’t pay it much attention, so fixed on getting the wall just right, just like he’d seen in the picture book his Mum has read him. The wind though, refused to be ignored and began to make the most awful racket! A sound like the big trains he’d seen once at a station in town filled his ears….and then the wind swept him up and carried him away. When he woke, he didn’t recognize the land around him. No buildings were standing, and the shack he’d shared with his family was gone.
Since the destruction Hurricane Matthew left in its wake in Haiti, the need for housing has been ongoing and many groups and organizations have taken on the task of assisting with rebuilding. One charitable organization highlighted in December is going further, providing not just housing, but building sustainable communities.
Here is a continuation of the story of NEW STORY….
Sarah from the New Story team recently sent an update to let us know how and where our donations were being put to work to build real homes for real people with real need.
While concentrated mainly in Haiti, building homes for the millions who lost everything – family members, livelihoods, homes, furnishings and clothing – by those now long forgotten hurricanes, New Story has expanded their work into Bolivia. Internet, as you can imagine, is sketchy there at best, but we are hoping for video of the work progressing there in the near future.
MEANWHILE…here at home our caring RE/MAX Alliance Associates have not forgotten the needs of those brought to their attention during the holiday season.
What started as a friendly competition between offices to see who could raise the most funds for building more homes so desperately needed in Haiti became a fierce call to action to go the distance and make a difference in our world for several Alliance Associates in particular.
The Ft. Collins office engaged with the offices of Westminster, Golden, Ward Road Arvada and Olde Town Arvada and each rose to the challenge admirably.
Every New Story home takes about $6000 to build and complete.
Not content to build one home, these offices baked their way to an auction that saw:
· Single cakes auctioned off from $100 – $200 dollars!
· Single cupcakes fetching up to $100 dollars!
Local business caught wind of the challenge and began to donate commercial baked goods for the auction block.
Heidi Greer; manager of the Westminster office donated her infamous Moonshine in mason jars. Agent Marlene Maxon brought it to the attention of Alliance owners Chuck and Chad Ochsner who were inspired to bid $1000 for each jar!
It was an auction like no other and a bake sale to end all bake sales, in part coordinated by dedicated humanitarian and Olde Town Arvada Associate Christine Malara. Christine hopes to be among those chosen to fly out to Haiti and actually help build the homes they raised the funds to build.
Not one….not two…..but THREE homes will result from the baked goods auction, as the offices raised over $18,000 to further the New Story efforts to help the island of Haiti and other places devastated by natural disasters in the preceding years.
CATCH THE EXCITEMENT AND BE PART OF THE JOY!
Visit the New Story website, read about the work being done and get involved in the rebuilding of lives in Haiti, and other places around our world, one home at a time.