In just three years, the Fraser Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation has reached a remarkable milestone: $1 million in grants distributed to organizations supporting vulnerable and at-risk youth across the Fraser Valley. For many charities this means immediate access to safe shelter, mental health care, job training, and life-changing support for young people when they need it most.
“It’s incredibly meaningful,” said Christiane Hodson, Executive Director of the Fraser Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation. “On a personal level, I’ve visited many of the organizations we fund and met youth as young as 12 who are facing homelessness. To know the grants are making a real, tangible difference in the community I call home, that’s powerful.”
The foundation’s origins stretch back more than five decades when in 1969 a small group of Fraser Valley REALTORS® purchased 3.4 acres of land along the Fraser River. Later, the land was sold back to the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board at its original purchase price, with a single condition: it must benefit the communities REALTORS® serve. When the land was ultimately sold, the proceeds were placed into a permanent endowment, officially launching the Fraser Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation.
Grant recipients are carefully selected for their capacity to provide immediate, impactful support to vulnerable youth across the Fraser Valley. A 2024 news release from the B.C. Ministry of Health found that 41% of British Columbia’s youth live in the Fraser Valley, yet youth services in the region have historically been underfunded compared to larger urban centres. Combined with housing insecurity, transportation barriers, and limited access to mental health care, especially in rural communities, the challenges facing Fraser Valley’s youth are complex and urgent.
“Our work is preventative,” stated Hodson. “If we can support youth with mental health services, work experience, and stability early on, we can help prevent homelessness and crisis later in life.”
That approach is reflected in the organizations the Foundation supports. Mackie’s Place Youth at Risk in Surrey, which received the Foundation’s millionth dollar, offers hands-on job training programs such as barista and chef-in-training initiatives, helping youth overcome barriers to employment. In Abbotsford, the Cyrus Centre provides emergency shelter and immediate mental health counselling, ensuring there are no waitlists when a young person is ready to seek help.
Behind every grant is a dedicated network of REALTORS® who not only contribute financially, but volunteer their time, expertise, and energy to support the Foundation’s mission. REALTORS® serve on volunteer committees focused on governance, fundraising, and community outreach, help organize events like golf tournaments and other fundraisers, and take on hands-on roles by attending graduations to personally present REALTOR®-sponsored education bursaries to youth completing alternative and secondary school programs. Their ongoing commitment, both behind the scenes and in public-facing roles, ensures that the foundation’s work has real, lasting impact on the region.
“One way we were able to get the word out about our foundation and our grants so quickly, was through the network of over 5200 REALTORS®,” explained Hodson. “The REALTOR® network is huge, and it’s been instrumental to increase our visibility not only to the general public, but also to charities that may not know about us and could benefit from our support.”
The Fraser Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation is proving what’s possible when REALTORS® invest deeply in the future of their communities, helping create a legacy of opportunity and hope for the next generation.
