With the holiday season sneaking around the corner, many of us take the time to consider how we can give back to our communities. In the real estate industry, it can sometimes seem daunting to apply our skillsets and interests into volunteer contexts, so here are a few great programs to get involved with.

Each of these strive to give back to their communities by providing a sense of home. Some physically build houses, while others help families create spaces where their households can thrive. Either way, these examples should warm your heart and ignite your motivation.

Homes for the Holidays

Homes for the Holidays is a flagship program head up by Warrick Dunn Charities. The team accepts donations throughout the year, and work with local partners to help a single parent family furnish, decorate and stock the kitchen of a new home.

The program has been around since 1997 and to date has served 173 families in 18 markets, including Tallahassee, Nashville and Detroit. This takes the weight off of parents who wish to provide a home for their families, but lack the financial ability to fully do so.

Real estate professionals spend their careers on the dream of homeownership. Supporting a charity like Homes for the Holidays lets you give community members a hand up as they pursue this same dream. Feeling inspired? Rally your own community to follow in this charity’s footsteps.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is perhaps one of the most well-known home-related volunteer organizations in the country. This global nonprofit operated in all fifty states and about 70 countries. While its reach is massive, the best part about volunteering with Habitat for Humanity is the opportunity to make a difference on a local level.

Some communities take their support to the next level — and home industry professionals are particularly well-suited to lead the charge. Each year in Omaha, Nebraska, for example, local builders rally to build multiple homes in one weekend. The Home Builders Blitz of 2019 produced 12 homes in one neighborhood, creating a massive impact in just a few days.

Not handy with tools? That’s no matter. Anyone can join in to help build a home for a local household. Contact your local Habitat for Humanity branch to see how you and your real estate team can get involved.

Building Futures

Building Futures is another organization with a focus on affordable housing provisions. This group, however, focuses on freeing community members of Alameda County, CA from homelessness and family violence.

The organization works tirelessly to provide shelter and link clients with affordable housing in the area. You can support their work by donating, organizing a drive or sponsoring one of their local events. 

Not located in California? There are charitable organizations across the country who run similar programs in an effort to alleviate the housing crisis that has affected so many Americans. Look into your local shelters and find out how you can help this year.

Giving Back in the Real Estate Industry

If your career focuses on housing, take the opportunity this year to expand your volunteer and giving efforts to help others secure the dream, too. Whether you want to build, organize an event or simply give your time and money, this is a wonderful way to build up the community around you.

The above organizations are only three of the many nonprofits working across the nation — and the globe. Check out what’s happening in your neighborhood too see what kind of local impact you can make.