6 minute read
Meet Kares 4 Kids: Positively Impacting Children and Communities
By Beth Volpert Johansen
REALTORS® not only sell houses, but they also see the realities of the housing market. Any sale has a story, and any story has the potential to tell more than meets the eye at the front door. For Marci Fair of Keller-Williams Realty Atlanta Partners, there is almost always more to the story than marketing and sales. There is also the human factor. From home to homelessness, Marci’s perspective on what makes a community has changed over her years in real estate. It has come to encompass a drive to serve the community that began when she was just out of college. “I reserved a name in 1990 knowing that I wanted to begin a charity,” explains Marci. “Kares 4 Kids (K4K) finally got off the ground in 2005 with a donation of thirty-three book bags that we put together in our living room.”
Fast forward to 2021 and more than 528,900 kids later, K4K has become a focal charity of the Atlanta Partners Keller Williams Real Estate offices. It has all been made possible by the generosity of donors and the incredible K4K Ambassadors and agent volunteers who selflessly give their time and energy to help children who are hurting. “Feedback is the breakfast of champions,” says Marci. “Learning from years of charity work allows us to give back in ways that are the most impactful to the communities where our offices are located.”
K4K digs deepest to impact food insecurity, homelessness, and illiteracy. “These are all woven into the work we do,” says Marci. The organization holds six events per year in order to focus on making the most difference for children in the community. “Our agents always see, feel, and touch our events personally,” she explains. “They create tags for bears with personalized inspirational messages for the children experiencing trauma who might receive them, they pack book bags alongside their own children and the vendors we work with, and they deliver person-to-person because our community needs to see each other.”
This summer K4K restocked a Gwinnett County Public Library Bookmobile with 4,500 books. “The Bookmobile went from 0 to 4,500 books, and was able to serve hundreds of neighborhoods over the summer,” Marci says. In the fall, K4K will donate another 6,590 books into children’s charities, local libraries, and Title I schools.
The recent Christmas holiday event focused on teens who need everything from personal care items to school supplies. “They often need as much or more help than younger children, yet their needs often get overlooked,” says Marci.
With the vision “to positively impact children today and strengthen our communities for tomorrow,” K4K is on track to surpass its own milestones. Working toward supporting at-risk children in their own communities, K4K has issued a challenge to themselves. “Our goal for 2021,” says Marci, “is to raise over $300,000 for children in need, which will put us over $2,300,000 raised for children since 2005!” All expenses of the charity are covered by private donors. One hundred percent of all donations go directly to helping the children.
More information at www.kares4kids.com
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Laura Cone Continued from page 14 hospitality was in order. The city park and the administrative staff have grown tremendously as well as the events and festivals. Besides the joy of planning and then watching the community enjoy Grayson Day, Laura has had a considerable hand in expanding the uses for the facilities.
Planning Grayson Day moved forward into the annual Chili Cookoff (she and Bo won some serious hardware one year!). The annual Gimme Shelter Concert, benefitting the local SE Gwinnett Food Coop, began with a portable stage and is now held on the Ampivilion Stage just behind City Hall. Grayson Blues and Brews has been a big hit. Moreover, Christmas in Grayson has long been a staple in the park. Laura’s photos with the mayor and her co-workers, along with Santa, will always have a spot amongst her memories.
Twenty years. It is a long time to remain in a job. But, for Laura Cone, it wasn’t always about a job. It was very much about the idea of community. Having covered her very first city council meeting gives me a little license to add my two cents. When Grayson began to grow by leaps and bounds, it was Laura who earned the office and title of City Administrator. With Laurie Anderson stepping out of a role that many had come to depend on – the seniors, the mayor, the new high school principal, the Bay Creek Parks and Rec Steering Committee, and many others – the new city administrator had to be someone who, like Laurie, had a tender spot for the city and the gracious demeanor of a true daughter of the South.
It was Laura who came to fill the job. And today, twenty years later, it would seem that Laura leaves the city far stronger than she found it by virtue of those who speak so highly of her. Good luck to you Laura and thanks for all you have done!
Perimeter Cares pays off unpaid lunch debt for elementary school students. We have paid off over 60 schools and plan to take care of all elementary schools in the state of Georgia.
perimetercares.org
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