Charlotte, N.C. – As nonprofits grapple with mounting financial strain brought on by a slower economy, inflation, rising operational costs, and diminishing funding sources, Realtors® remain steadfast in their commitment to community service. Through Canopy Housing Foundation, Realtors® awarded a total of $85,500 in grant funding to support organizations addressing critical housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties, helping to fill gaps left by shrinking donations and reduced federal relief.

More than 120 area Realtors® and representatives from area nonprofits gathered for the Foundation’s annual Community Grants Celebration to recognize the dedication and work of 13 organizations addressing unmet housing needs with $58,700 in funding. In keeping with its annual commitment to area Habitats, the Foundation also awarded $26,300 to six area Habitat for Humanity organizations through the Habitat Support Program, which began in 2007 to help assist these organizations with their mission.

2025 YES Award Recipient, Alexander Riley
Canopy Housing Foundation instituted the Youth Excellence in Service Award or YES Award to recognize and celebrate area youth who are engaged in improving the quality of life in the region. At just 17 years old, Alexander Riley, a junior at Ballantyne Ridge High School, embodies the true spirit of service, perseverance, and leadership, pillars of the Foundation’s YES Award. Despite facing significant personal challenges—including homelessness, transportation barriers, and financial instability—Alex, ever the optimist, remained deeply committed to both his education and his community. While maintaining a full high school course load, he is also dually enrolled in community college and pursuing his Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification, hoping to soon serve elderly members of the community, motivated not by personal gain but by compassion and a desire to uplift others.

A quiet force for good on campus, Alex is a pillar of support for students and staff alike. Through his tireless volunteerism—tutoring peers, assisting teachers, and contributing before and after class—he has helped foster a culture of empathy and resilience at his school. His unwavering attendance, despite having to rely on Uber for transportation, and his academic excellence have earned him the admiration of the entire faculty.  As the 2025 recipient of the YES Award, Alex received a commemorative plaque and the Foundation will donate $500 in Alex’s name to a charity of his choice.

“By supporting young leaders and nonprofits working in our community and on the frontlines of housing, we’re investing in both the future of our communities and the next generation of compassionate, purpose-driven adults,” said Charisma Southerland, 2025 president of Canopy Realtor® Association/Canopy MLS. “Through our grants programs and outreach efforts, Realtors® are proud to help close the housing gap, uplift neighborhoods, and inspire lasting change across our region.”

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 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

• Ada Jenkins Center: $4,700 to be used to fund the Financial Assistance program supporting between four (4) and six (6) families or between twelve (12) and eighteen (18) individuals. Realtor® Referral: Arlene Arciero, Southern Homes of the Carolinas

• A Giving Heart Project: $3,000 to provide direct emergency housing support for five (5) families experiencing homelessness or housing instability at a cost of $600 per family. Realtor^® referral: Janae McAfee, Compass

• Beds for Kids: $5,000 to purchase 20 sets of kitchen tables and chairs for twenty (2) families transitioning from homelessness, helping make their new space a home. Realtor® referral: Cullen NcNulty, NcNulty Realty

• Dahlia Grove, Inc.: $5,000 to provide for rental support of two (2) houses to provide safety and sanctuary for women survivors of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and addiction who are part of the two-year residency program dedicated to their recovery, wellness, and life development skills. Realtor® referral: Alyce Walker, RE/MAX Executive

• Fifth Street Ministries: $4,500 to provide approximately 3,000 meals at the organization’s homeless shelter at a cost of $1,50 per person – part of enabling the individuals in securing safe and stable housing. Realtor® referral: Mary Palmes, Allen Tate Real Estate

• Flowers Ministries, Inc.: $4,000 to assist individuals with unmet needs essential to securing housing and employment: obtaining driver’s licenses, identifications, food stamps, VA / SSI benefits, mental health counseling, criminal record expungement, and other critical recovery and re-entry resources. Realtor® referral: Elizabeth Mosley, Shephard Real Properties

• Home4Me: $5,000 to meet critical needs of young people aged out of foster care by providing essential items to allow them to focus on sustainability.  Needs met include rental assistance, suitcases packed with essentials and ‘Bed-in-Bags’. Realtor® referral: Antonio Worsham, Equity North Carolina Real Estate

• Leah’s Hopes and Dreams: $3,000 to support transitional housing services, including mentorship, ID recovery, and job readiness training for three (3) formerly incarcerated individuals at a cost of $1,000 per participant.
  Realtor® referral: Renee Hill, Angela Craghead Realty Group 

• Matthews Help Center: $5,000 to be used for rental assistance for three (3) families at a cost of $,500 per family and $500 for utility assistance for one family. Realtor® referral: Tina Whitley, Coldwell Banker

• Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI): $5,000 to provide emergency rental assistance to support ten (10) families in need residing within the community. Realtor® referral: Rhonda Rivers, Next Home Rivers Realty

• She Built This City: $5,000 to support post-homeownership services for 160 low-to-moderate income homeowners in Mecklenburg County by focusing on increasing home values through prevent and basic DIY home repair workshops. Funds would also work to reduce foreclosure risk by providing financial counseling. Realtor® referral: Jenise Taylor, Worthy and Associates Real Estate

• Time Out Youth: $4,500 to support the Housing and Supportive Services Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) Program and the new Workforce Development Program. These funds will assist in providing stable housing to ten (1) LGBTA homeless youth at a cost of $500 per person. Realtor® referral: Sarah Tahami, Helen Adams Realty

• Veterans Bridge Home: $5,000 to be used for emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and homelessness prevention for ten (10) veterans or veteran families at a cost of $500 per case. Realtor® referral: Lenore Pattillo, LNP Realty Group

Canopy Housing Foundation’s Community Grants Program was launched in 2009 and awards funds to nonprofits in Mecklenburg, Iredell and Haywood Counties that work to address housing issues. Organizations with missions that closely align with the Foundation, are able to apply annually for grants; however, each grantee must be supported by a letter of recommendation from an active Realtor®. Canopy Housing Foundation’s Habitat Support Program was formalized in 2007 and provides monetary support to area Habitat for Humanity organizations, including Habitat for Humanity Haywood County.

To date, Canopy Housing Foundation has distributed over $958,500 through the Community Grants Program and the Habitat Support Program to community organizations and Habitats in the region, over the past 17years. 

Applications for the annual Community Grants Program and Habitat Grants Program are rated according to community impact, project feasibility, fiscal strength and Realtor® support.  Funds are restricted and must be used by December 31, 2025.  Funds cannot be used for capital costs, staff/administrative expenses or debt reduction. 

For more information about Canopy Housing Foundation, 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.