Strathmore's Royal LePage lends a hand to people in crisis

It’s not every day when you donate to an organization that you can hear or see exactly how the money is being spent. Today Royal LePage Benchmark in Strathmore donated $9,707 to the Wheatland Crisis Society and in turn board members heard real-life stories about how the funds actually support people right here in Strathmore.

We spoke to Corinne Lyall, owner and broker with Royal LePage Benchmark in Strathmore about why it was important to share this funding.

"I’m so excited. Everything that you can do to give back to the communities that you serve makes such a difference,” she said.

“To think that you can impact real people with real-life problems, maybe we're not changing the world, but maybe we're turning the dial a little bit to help individuals to get on their feet and find independence and do better in their lives,” she said.

“Royal LePage Canada has an arm of their company called the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and 100 per cent of all the funds that are donated across the country filter through the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and then back to the local charities that each of the Royal LePage offices choose to support,” said Lyall.

“We decided a number of years ago when we just had our Calgary office that we would support the Children's Cottage Society and the children's cottage is a shelter, for children, but it also supports families and it also supports the homeless,” she explained.

Lyall noted that when they moved into Strathmore they decided to support the Wheatland Crisis Society because they cover all of those things as well.

“It's something that is the heart of the Royal LePage family, that we do this,” she said.

She also explained how the funds came from donations from realtors as well.

Ken Robertson, treasurer and Wheatland Crisis Society board member explained that there are people from all walks of life that use the shelter’s services, women, men and children.

About the funding he said, “I think it's going to have a huge impact. We get a lot of provincial funding which helps with operations, and it doesn't provide any extras for the crisis society.”

“This will go a long way to helping people that are there,” he said speaking of a client at the shelter right now. He explained that he got to meet the client the other day and he could already see the change in them from the first day they arrived.

“I think it’s going to be a fantastic thing for them and will greatly help them,” he said.