July 17, 2026
Contact: Kim Walker, 704-940-3149

Annual Celebration Recognizes Community Grants, Habitat Partnerships
and Youth Excellence in Service

Charlotte, N.C. – The Canopy Housing Foundation awarded $85,500 this year through its annual Community Grants, Habitat Support Grant programs, and Youth Excellence in Service (Y.E.S.) Award. These investments in nonprofit organizations and youth with a passion for service are expanding housing opportunities, preventing homelessness, and helping individuals and families achieve greater housing stability throughout the Charlotte region.

Presented during the Foundation's annual Community Grants Celebration, the funding includes $55,000 in Community Grants awarded to 14 nonprofit organizations serving Mecklenburg and Iredell counties and $30,000 in Habitat Support Grants distributed among seven Habitat for Humanity organizations across the Foundation's service area. Together, the grants reflect Realtors® ongoing commitment to supporting organizations that address unmet housing needs while strengthening the communities they serve.

2026 Y.E.S. Award Recipient – Zyan Martin

The Canopy Housing Foundation's Youth Excellence in Service (YES) Award recognizes young people whose compassion, leadership, and commitment to service are making a meaningful difference in their communities. This year's recipient, 17-year-old Zyan Martin, has transformed a single Eagle Scout service project into a growing community initiative dedicated to helping families experiencing sudden housing displacement and homelessness.

Inspired after seeing individuals experiencing homelessness while searching for an Eagle Scout project, Zyan created Beyond the Bridge to provide immediate emergency assistance during the critical first 24 to 72 hours of a housing crisis, often the period when families are most vulnerable. What began as a student-led project has since evolved into an incorporated North Carolina nonprofit organization that provides emergency hotel accommodations, food assistance, hygiene supplies, and connections to behavioral health resources while restoring dignity and hope to families facing housing instability.

Working alongside nonprofit leaders, hospitality providers, and community partners, Zyan has helped provide emergency hotel stays, food assistance, distributed more than 500 hygiene kits, organized outreach events serving families experiencing homelessness, and impacted more than 200 individuals throughout Mecklenburg County. As the 2026 recipient of the YES Award, Zyan will receive a commemorative crystal award, and the Canopy Housing Foundation will donate $500 in his honor to the charity of his choice.

"Housing stability begins with people who are willing to step forward and make a difference," said Joan B. Goode, 2026 president of Canopy Realtor® Association and Realtor®/broker with Dickens Mitchener Real Estate. "Whether it's recognizing an inspiring young leader like Zyan Martin or partnering with nonprofits that are addressing unmet housing needs every day, Realtors® are proud to invest in the people and organizations working to strengthen our communities. Together, we're creating opportunities, restoring hope, and helping more families build brighter futures."

Canopy Housing Foundation serves as the charitable arm of Canopy Realtor® Association and is dedicated to creating a community where all housing needs are met. The Foundation and its core of Canopy Realtor® volunteers work toward this goal through funding, education, advocacy, and leadership programs that are focused on fair and affordable housing and workforce-housing initiatives.

The following organizations received Community Grants this year:

1. A Brighter Day Outreach: Received $3,000 to support the Food Security & Housing Stability Program, providing emergency food assistance and essential household items to those experiencing housing insecurity.
   Realtor® Referral: Melissa Gaston, Melissa Gaston Realty
   
   
2. Affordable Housing for the Carolinas {AHFTC): Received $5,000 to expand the AARP and Enbridge-supported 'Senior Stability Through Prevention' initiative by providing minor home safety repairs, aging-in-place modifications, and preventative housing interventions for five (5) low-to-moderate income senior homeowners in Iredell County.
   Realtor® Referral: Tiffany Cherry, Century 21 / Rucker Real Estate
   
   
3. Care Ring: Received $5,000 to stock the food pantry serving approximately 2,000 Mecklenburg County households with seven days of nutritious food, infant formula and diapers, as well as for providing grocery cards to households; these actions help prevent homelessness.
   Realtor® referral: Kimberly Blount, Engel & Volkers Charlotte
   
   
4. Caterpillar Ministries: Received $4,000 to provide emergency rental and utility assistance for vulnerable families connected to Caterpillar Ministries who are experiencing housing instability, eviction risks, or utility shut-offs.
   Realtor® referral: Randy Belk, First Fruits Realty
   
   
5. Davidson Housing Coalition: Received $5,000 to purchase needed materials for repair services for five to ten low-income homeowners at a cost of up to $1,000 per household.
   Realtor® referral: Mike Orlando, TSG Residential
   
   
6. Feed NC: Received $4,000 to purchase essential supplies such as towels, shower curtains, hygiene products, and emergency clothing for the 'Hygiene Hub', which provides access to showers, laundry services, and other hygiene essentials for homeless and displaced community members.
   Realtor® referral: Beth Welch, Southern Homes of the Carolinas
   
   
7. Foster Village Charlotte: Received $5,000 to provide approximately 10 'Welcome Packs', each valued at $500. These packs deliver essential items like beds, car seats, and clothing within 48 hours of placement to stabilize children and support caregivers in creating safe, functional home environments.
   Realtor® referral: Katie Miller, Miller Real Estate Group
   
   
8. Furnish for Good: Received $1,000 to purchase over 250 new pillows for twin and queen bed packages at $3.50 plus tax for each
   Realtor® referral: Sarah Roche, Helen Adams Realty
   
   
9. Home4Me: Received $5,000 to impact 34 young people with rental support, as well as housekeeping and bedding essentials as they age out of foster care and transition to new housing situations.

Realtor® referral: Antonio Worsham, Equity North Carolina Real Estate

10. Hope Haven: Received $1,000 to support the 'Welcome Home' initiative, providing essential household items that enable at least 10 residents to successfully move into stable permanent housing at $100 per resident.
    Realtor® referral: Deon Smith, Keller Williams Realty
    
    
11. Men of Impact: Received $5,000 to provide emergency rental assistance to 10 families facing housing instability in Mecklenburg County at $500 per family.
    Realtor® referral: Colleen Ryan, Parade/ Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
    
    
12. Roof Above: Received $5,000 to be used for security deposits and eviction prevention for 4-5 people moving from homelessness to housing.
    Realtor® referral: Courtney Fowlkes, Premier Sotheby's International Realty
    
    
13. The Kindness Closet: Received $2,000 to provide hygiene kits and essential hygiene products to students experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Iredell and Mecklenburg Counties through partnerships with school social workers.
    Realtor® referral: Bridget Loughnane, Helen Adams Realty
    
    
14. Veterans Bridge Home: Received $5,000 to be used for emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and homelessness prevention for 10 veterans or veteran families at $500 per Realtor® referral: Lenore Pattillo, Coldwell Bank Realty

Canopy Housing Foundation's Community Grants Program was launched in 2009 and provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Mecklenburg, Iredell, and Haywood Counties that address unmet housing needs. A distinguishing feature of the program is its Realtor® referral process, which empowers Canopy Realtor® Association members to nominate support the application of those Habitat for Humanity organizations eligible for the program. Canopy Housing Foundation's Habitat Support Program, established in 2007, provides financial support to area Habitat for Humanity organizations within the Canopy service area, including Habitat for Humanity Haywood County.

Over the past 18 years, Canopy Housing Foundation has invested more than $1,158,799.70* through its Community Grants and Habitat Support programs, helping nonprofit organizations expand housing opportunities, prevent homelessness, and strengthen communities throughout the region. Applications for both grant programs are evaluated based on community impact, project feasibility, fiscal strength, and Realtor® support, with funding restricted to program-related expenses. Grant funds must be used by December 31, 2026, or earmarked for that purpose, and may not be applied toward capital costs, staff or administrative expenses, endowment funds, or debt reduction.

*Mecklenburg/Iredell Community Grants: $638,299.70, Haywood Community Grants: $111,500, and Habitat Grants: $404,000.

For more information about Canopy Housing Foundation, visit www.CanopyHousingFoundation.org.

Canopy Housing Foundation is the charitable arm of Canopy Realtor^® Association and is dedicated to funding, education, advocacy and leadership programs that are focused on fair and affordable housing and workforce-housing initiatives. The Foundation serves to position and educate Realtors^® as leaders, promote homeownership and provide funding to create housing opportunities.