A Commitment To Community -- Many Local Real-Estate Agents Lend A Helping Hand During The Holidays And Throughout The Year

Pat Preece and Linda Kastner look forward to Friday mornings, when instead of heading to their jobs as real-estate agents, they meet at the West Seattle Food Bank to load their cars with 26 big bags of groceries. Next stops, The Original Bakery and Dulces Bakery for donated day-old bread and pastries. Then they're off to Roxbury House, a housing complex for elderly and disabled people, where they are eagerly welcomed.

"These people can't get out much to get their own food, so we bring it to them," Preece says. "What do we get out of it? Hugs and smiles! You truly can't beat it. And it really opens your eyes to life."

Some people call it charity work. Others call it good deeds. For Preece and Kastner, who work for Cayce & Gain Realty in West Seattle, and many other real-estate agents and brokerages throughout the region, it is, as Preece puts it: a way to "give something back to the community that supports us." In this season of good works, we decided to write about this charitable side of the real-estate business.

Preece's agency, Cayce & Gain, has a long history of community service in West Seattle. Volunteer time and money raised through various activities benefit many local charities; Cayce & Gain also sponsors seven local baseball and soccer leagues, does a holiday Toys for Tots collection, and four times a year agents walk Admiral Way, picking up litter, trimming shrubs and, says broker Mike Gain, "making sure our street stays a welcoming entry to our community."

Across town, agents in five Seattle Windermere Real Estate offices have raised the down payment for the first of eight Habitat for Humanity townhouses to be built at South Lane Street and 23rd Avenue South. Through such events as office parties and bake sales, the agents raised $30,000. The Windermere Foundation added another $10,000.

Besides the money, many of the agents from the Ballard, Capitol Hill, Eastlake, Madison Park and Mount Baker Windermere offices plan to donate time and talent to the physical construction of the townhouses.

"Building housing for people who could never otherwise afford to buy makes a lot of sense to us, because we work in the industry and see so many working poor," says Terry Proctor, a Capitol Hill office agent who spearheads the project. "The beauty of Habitat, much of the materials and labor are donated, the actual costs are kept to about $55,000 per three-bedroom unit.

"It will be sold to a qualified family for that price, on a 20-year no-interest mortgage. The buyers have to put in 500 hours of sweat equity. Then as the mortgage payments are paid, the returning money is rolled into a new home for someone else."

The 105 Windermere offices throughout the Northwest are involved in a wide number of community projects. Many agents donate a percentage of each home sale commission (from $7.50 to $250 or more) to the foundation, which has raised more than $1 million since 1989 to assist homeless and low-income families.

The foundation supports transitional shelters, permanent low-income housing and programs to benefit the children of homeless families, as well as summer-camp programs, holiday gifts, clothing and shoes, school supplies, employment counseling and many other projects.

Five Windermere offices north of Seattle's Ship Canal have chosen to work with homeless children through projects at B.F. Day, Greenwood and Whittier elementary schools. Project coordinator Jill Jacobi Wood says more than the money - which totaled about $50,000 in the last two years - the agents give time and energy.

"We work closely with each school's

family-support worker and principal, who are very in touch with the needs of individual children," Jacobi Wood says. "We help them stock a closet with emergency needs such as clothing, school supplies and food. And they can call us and say, there is a child who needs a winter coat, or shoes, or underwear. We get them the money, no strings attached, right away."

Foundation money has paid camp and field-trip fees, provided birthday gift certificates, even bike helmets. But to many at B.F. Day, most important is an $800 stipend each month, shared between four homeless or low-income parents who work as playground supervisors.

"B.F. Day has a high number of homeless and very needy children, many of the parents don't speak English," says school volunteer Marilyn Largy. "Windermere's cash goes directly to benefit so many people. The stipends pay very needy parents who then come every day, can be with their kids, help the school and get job experience. It gives them a warm place to be and free meals in the cafeteria, too. They do recess duty and volunteer, and save so much time and energy for teachers to devote to teaching. It's such a wonderful idea."

The agents do more than give money, Largy adds. "Last spring 40 Windermere folks showed up the day after school was out to spend two days helping us clean up, reorganize and get ready for fall. It meant so much to the teachers. . . . We're sure hoping they come back this year."

Among other Windermere projects are city beautification programs, donations of time and money to the arts, museums, food banks, hospitals, Boys & Girls Clubs, local blood banks and more. Each summer the company hosts a Community Service Day where everyone is asked to spend the day volunteering.

"We want to do our part helping to improve the communities where we live and work," says Jim Shapiro, president of Windermere Services Company. That's also the theme at John L. Scott Real Estate, where this year agents and staff in the 60 offices have donated more than 94,000 pounds of food to 84 area food banks, and used their company's "Hand in Hand" van to deliver an additional 455,618 pounds of food plus donated furniture, building materials and auction items to organizations.

The Hand in Hand truck and driver are also available to nonprofit organizations who need transportation help, says Laurie Coddington, the project coordinator (call 637-7622). "The idea is, help the community, whatever is needed."

Agents take that seriously, she adds. Most offices have "giving trees" up for the holidays to collect money, toys and gifts for the needy. They also participate in the Forgotten Children's Fund, have blanket drives and do other charities.

Big and small offices alike get involved in community service, particularly this time of year. At RE/MAX Canyon Creek Realty in Bothell, there's a large pile of gifts under the Christmas tree designated for a shelter for battered women and children, says office administrator Darla Swofford. Through the year a portion of commission checks - from $10 to $200 ($13,000 last year) - is designated for the international Children's Miracle Network, which supports Seattle's Children's Hospital and Medical Center and other hospitals.

Agents and staff from Gerrard Beattie & Knapp Real Estate are hosting the Seattle Emergency Housing Christmas party next week and expect 205 children and their parents from the agency's transitional housing. "We're collecting gifts for the children and working with U S West to have food, entertainment and of course Santa," says Nan Kinnier, an agent in the office. "It's fun, and rewarding."

Other agents in the office are selling Christmas trees at a Queen Anne lot to support the Queen Anne Help Line, a project that offers counseling, information and crisis assistance. Last year the lot raised $10,000 for the line. And eight agents raised $3,500 in pledges for the Northwest AIDS Walk in September.

Many offices, including Madison House Ltd. in Madison Park and W.E. Ruth Real Estate in Renton, adopt families for the holidays. This year Madison House chose a single mother with four children through the Seattle YWCA. "It's not simple for people at Christmas," says broker Kitty Hughes. "We're gathering toys, clothing, a lot of food and grocery certificates, to give them a good holiday."

Madison House agents are involved in 26 community organizations including Childhaven, she added. "The community gives us a lot, we want to give back."

Thanksgiving was busy for agents at Harper Bond Inc. Real Estate in Bellevue. Broker Bill Fredrickson says the agency worked closely with Northwest Harvest to put together a holiday dinner. Now they are collecting Toys for Tots and warm winter coats, and selling poinsettias for Ryther Child Center.

Giving is a very personal business at American Properties N.W. in Everett. Broker Ramona Boylan says at least 15 needy families will be "adopted" for the holidays by agents, and that everyone in the office makes a special effort to donate gifts for teenagers to Christmas House, a Snohomish County charity. "Teens get ignored, it seems to be a child holiday when people are donating."

Boylan says she keeps a supply of toys, warm mittens, even a winter jacket or two in the back of her car.

"Sometimes I'm driving along and see a poor little kid, I stop and say, `This is for you from someone who likes you a lot.' " And lest a parent worry when a child comes home with something new, she tucks a note into the item with a "Merry Christmas" and her name and phone number.

"It's our community," she says. "We're proud to be part of making it a better place to live."