150 top RealtySouth agents team up with Red Mountain Grace to provide a home to out-of-town patients
On Tuesday, March 5, top-performing RealtySouth agents got a first glimpse at the furnished downtown loft they adopted for one year through the nonprofit Red Mountain Grace. Find out how it will help patients and families staying in Birmingham for medical care.
22 Going On 30
When RealtySouth celebrates the 150 top-performing agents from the previous calendar year, a tangible reward in the form of a trophy, gift card or other means of appreciation is the typical protocol. This year, however, the 2018 Top Performers decided to use their rewards to give back to the community. As it turns out, when you put 150 RealtySouth yearly performance rewards together, you can do some pretty cool stuff.
The amazing cause of Red Mountain Grace hit home with the RealtySouthteam, and they decided to make the nonprofit their cause. Though the organization has grown significantly in six years, its goal is to grow to 30 apartments in order to meet the needs of long-stay, out-of-town patients in Birmingham.
“The average stay is 47 days, and we rarely see any of the locations available for more than a day or two. Most of our patients are here for heart or lung transplants and other risky surgeries. Those are a real challenge to families outside a commutable distance from the hospital.”
Lizzi Wilkerson, Executive Director, Red Mountain Grace
All combined, funds from RealtySouth’s 2018 Top Performers was enough to adopt a Red Mountain Grace apartment for one full year. That increased the number of apartments to 22, one downtown Birmingham loft closer to 30.
The Big Reveal
On the day of RealtySouth’s annual celebration, which honored more than 320 agents, the 150 Top Producers each received a Red Mountain Grace Apartment Adopter’s Toolkit. Here’s what was inside:
a token key commemorating their generous gift
a full-page, photo-filled description of their adopted apartment
photos of patients and family testimonials
tips on more ways to give, such as meal preparation, holiday gifts and a list of recovery items
Then, following Stacey Booth’s speech, the RealtySouth Top Producers got a first look at the Jemison Flats apartment they adopted.
“It is fully furnished and equipped with a secure parking deck, onsite gym and wifi café. It’s got everything down to the laundry detergent. So we knew at that very moment our contribution sponsored a furnished loft downtown, with a view of the Pizitz Building. It’s also in walking distance of other amenities that will make it comfortable for a family staying long term.”
Helen Drennen, Top Producer, RealtySouth Mountain Brook Village office
Putting A Face To The Cause
Jeannie McKay, a breast cancer patient and a Red Mountain Grace resident, was there for the RealtySouth celebration, too. She currently calls Fort Walton Beach, Florida, home, but she used to work as a nurse at UAB. When learned she would need chemo over a three-month period, she knew she wanted UAB to handle her treatments so she returned to Birmingham.
“I knew I needed a place to really be at home. The social workers at UAB helped me find Red Mountain Grace, so we’ve been here since January. We have a great little flat that’s comfortable and safe, close to the hospital.”
Jeannie McKay
When asked what she thought about RealtySouth Top Producers adopting an apartment for one year, McKay replied:
“It’s amazing. It’s a gift from God. When you’re going through this, you don’t want to have to worry about hotels or how am I going to afford this.”
As for the real estate agents, meeting family members and patients connected to Red Mountain Grace at the event was humbling.
“It must be so difficult to find housing at a moment’s notice. We all look forward to helping many more sweet families over the year,” Drennen said.
Red Mountain Grace plans to keep in touch, too. The award-winning nonprofit sends monthly newsletters to apartment adopters and is open to questions and housing requests 365 days a year.
This is RealtySouth
RealtySouth is in the housing business after all. To be able to provide housing for folks who are in the hospital or who have a family member in the hospital is an honor, said Richard Grimes, RealtySouth CEO and President.
“There were a few dry eyes in the room, but not many. All of our agents treat one another and their clients and communities like family, so this collective donation is another reason why our agents are so passionate and caring in all that they do. This is RealtySouth.”
Richard Grimes, President/CEO, RealtySouth
Meet the RealtySouth 2018 Top Producers
Check out the outstanding 150 RealtySouth agents who sponsored the Jemison Flats apartment with Red Mountain Grace in Birmingham. (We’ve organized this list alphabetically first by office location, then by last name.)
Auburn
Natalie Bass
Bill Dyas
Scott Hanson
Karol Kirby
Kathy Overfelt
Justin Rivers
Ryan Shoemaker
Tonya Tankersley
Auburn – Lake Martin
Erin Johnson
Chilton
Pete Bernier
Amber Darnell
Peggy Hall
Sandy Pate
Cindy Porter
Downtown Birmingham
Anna Fowler
Homewood
Debbie Catanzano
Kristen McGee
Lauren Murphree
Huntsville
Peter Burge
Shauna Wesson
I-459 Southwest
Kay Hagood
Tina Harris
Karrie Henderson
Johnny Pate
Teresa Tanner
Inverness
Carol Bailey
Kelli Bell
Sherry Best
Cameron Brooks
Ron Comer
Nick Higdon
Julie Kim
Cindy Mangos
Tammy Mularski
Dana Patterson
Matt Robinson
Eileen Watkins
Melissa Wise
Laurie Valentine
Gwen Vinzant
Freda York
Lake Martin
Bobby Tapley
Patsy Wagenfuehr
Mountain Brook Crestline
Sally Bergquist
Sylvia Crawford
Amanda Dabbs
Rebekah Eaton
James Faulkner
Dana Garvin
Langston Hereford
Rachel Kim
Matthew Lepore
Ashley Lewis
Robin Owings
Liz Phillips-Guest
Sandy Reeves
Fred Smith
Katherine Smith
Kay Smith
Jennifer Carns Tarr
Rosemary Weed
Emily Wood
Mountain Brook Village
Katherine Allison
Jacque Bailey
Brian Boehm
Scott Boudreaux
Steve Buchanan
Matthew Calhoun
Liz Cleckler
Betty Coe
Kerri Culotta
Susie Denson
Carey Martin Donaldson
Helen Drennen
Caroline Ezelle
Scott Ford
Emily Getty
Kathy Harris
Martha Hiden
Ally Hogan
Jimbo Kidd
Isabelle Lawson
Lee Marks
Ellen Sharley Melville
Mimi Nolen
Dana Norton
Catherine Pewitt
Scott Perry
Stephanie Robinson
Robert Russom
Tom Sartain
Tempie Sharley
Bert Siegel
Jason Coy Turner
Carol Waites
Northern
Teresa Ellard
Ed Sanders
Candace Smith
Becky Tucker
Northwest – Jasper
Kelly Bozeman
Kathy Cooner
Justin Harbin
Francine Swarts
Oneonta
Sheila Marbut
Over the Mountain Acton Road
Gwen Brannum
Mallory Chambers
Susette Clark-Walker
Brad Clement
Gary Delamar
Frankie Gettings
Jana Hanna
Lisa Holmes
Amy Lawson
Merry Leach
Trish Leverett
Meg McCarthy
Pat Morgan
Cissy Schmidt
Marilyn Seier
Lannette Thomas
Laurie Trimm
Hayden Wald
Mike Wald
Joyce Watson
Jana Woodruff
Over the Mountain Alford Avenue
Ty Elliott
Joe Falconer
John Franklin
Kelli Gunnells
Susie Helton
Anna Lu Hemphill
Rebecca Scott
Chris Wood
Shelby
Phyllis Alldredge
Jennifer Bryant
Janice Eddings
Debra Horton
Debbie Seale
Melanie Siow
Shoals
Susan Burdine
Carl Rhodes
Joe Rhodes
Trussville
Chris Christian
Dawn Jenkins
Lee Marlow
Teresa Steffens
Mary Stephenson
Tuscaloosa
Daphne Curtis
Shanna Killings
Chris Lee
Learn how you can become an apartment adopter here!