TAR Hurricane Rita Rebuild 2007

CCAR members join REALTORS® from across the state to build two Habitat for Humanity homes in Port Arthur. Thanks to the generosity and sweat of many Texas REALTORS®, including an enthusiastic group from CCAR, two Habitat for Humanity houses were completed in March in Port Arthur. The homes, funded by $140,000 donated by Texas Realtors, will be handed over to two families displaced by Hurricane Rita and mark one step on the long road to recovery in Southeast Texas. Twenty-two more Habitat houses are planned for the area.	Instead of selling finished product, more than 150 members from across the state constructed the buildings alongside other Habitat volunteers during three-week build. The teams of Texas REALTORS® enjoyed a great sense of camaraderie and accomplishment—and they learned about framing walls and handling nail guns. And the community welcomed them with open arms; people on the street, on buses, and in restaurants thanked them for helping the area recover.	At a news conference at the conclusion of the build, Port Arthur Mayor Oscar Ortiz thanked the association. “I want to recognize a group who saw the need and immediately stepped up to meet the challenge,” Ortiz said. “Texas REALTORS® raised more than $140,000 to build the two homes behind me … . In addition to raising these funds, Texas REALTOR® members personally joined Habitat … to participate in the three-week build.”
	The Glofton and Randall families, who also spent time building their new homes, received a special housewarming gift from the Texas Association of REALTORS®: bread to represent the fullness of life, salt so that their lives would always have flavor, and chocolate to remind them of the sweetness of life.The Glofton and Randall families, who also spent time building their new homes, received a special housewarming gift from the Texas Association of REALTORS®: bread to represent the fullness of life, salt so that their lives would always have flavor, and chocolate to remind them of the sweetness of life.
John Rosshirt, chairman of the TAR Habitat Task Force, said that the REALTORS® who participated in the build really had their eyes opened to how easy it is to make a difference through the Habitat program. Many expressed an interest in getting involved in future builds in their hometowns.	“The entire project was a success,” said John Rosshirt of Austin. “From the generosity of those who donated to the fund to the members who volunteered their time and labor on the homes, REALTORS® again helped their fellow Texans in need.”