After Hours

Call to Service

Real estate leader Aaron Norwood finds purpose in helping others

By GABRIELLA HERRAN-ROMERO

If there is one word to describe Aaron Norwood, it’s altruistic. As a broker and partner with LevRose Commercial Real Estate, he specializes in industrial and office properties. But when he’s not working with clients on investment sales and leasing, Norwood spends much of his time helping those in need within his community at the Phoenix-based food bank Rio Vista Center.

“I got started in the field 15 years ago because I was interested in real estate,” Norwood recalls. “At first, I wanted to get into lending, but a good friend that I’d like being a broker better because I would get to work with people, not numbers. So I got my real estate license and went into the commercial real estate business.”

As his career picked up, Norwood would spend much of his free time helping out at Rio Vista Center in South Phoenix. “I’ve always enjoyed volunteer work. As a Christian, I believe it’s what we’re called to do,” he says. “One set of my grandparents helped a lot with prison ministries and relocating refugees, and the other set lived in poverty and were often homeless. Seeing both sides of that while growing up created a pull to do something, to be of service.

“I’ve contributed to organizations that helped the poor and fed the hungry since I was a teenager and throughout my college years,” he adds. “Rio Vista Center was just kind of a natural fit for me.”

When Norwood first began working at the food pantry, it was run by an elderly woman who was ready to retire. “She asked me to take her position,” he says. Luckily, his church allowed him to recruit volunteers for the organization. “That was really helpful in getting everything started.”

Today, Norwood is the director of Rio Vista Center. Part of the Community Resource Centers ministry of Arizona Baptist Children’s Services & Family Ministries, a nonprofit that provides foster care and adoption services, Rio Vista and its Mesa branch, Casa de Amor, provide the less fortunate with food, clothing, career services and much more. “Arizona Baptist Children’s Services was looking for a food component to help provide its existing clients, so we decided to merge both of our services, which was great because we were then able to refer those who were coming for food to all the other services the organization provides,” Norwood explain.

In his role, Norwood oversees the recruitment of volunteers, manages resources and solicits donations. He also coordinates with other local charities, such as St. Mary’s Food Bank and United Food Bank, to obtain supplies that are distributed at Rio Vista and Casa de Amor.

Working with the underserved and poor has taught Norwood to not judge and to take people at their word. He recalls one woman who would come into the center and say that she had 15 kids. “At the time, I didn’t believe her, but I still served her the best I could. A couple months later, she showed up with all her children because it was summer and they weren’t in school. At that point, it really hit me that she hadn’t been lying,” he says. “I was humbled, and it showed me that I should really believe in people despite the circumstances. Now, she volunteers with us.

“Working at the center really helps me keep a perspective on things,” Norwood concludes. “Commercial real estate can often be lucrative, and you can begin to just focus in on that aspect, but being able to work every week with people who are solely focused on getting food for their family or just making ends meet helps me stay grounded and focus on what’s actually important in life.”