Posts from August 10th, 2022

Way to go AAC and Stephanie Sandefur for the GET LIT company challenge. Usually these Broker Bits are random ramblings of ideas, testimonials, risk management, real estate experiences . . . and the like. This one is, in a way, kind of like that.

GET LIT, Bellator's Back-To-School Literacy Challenge (click here to learn more) aims to sponsor adults and children who can not, or have trouble, reading. We are knee deep into our fund raising and I hope we knock it out of the park! GET LIT was the first time that I really thought about what it would be like if I couldn't read. Without even knowing it, we probably read more things per hour than we speak or hear. Certainly we take it for granted. I wonder what it would be like if that skill was taken away?

An article in The Atlantic by John Hudson dated JULY 2, 2012 stated "In an Education Week article last year, the magazine highlighted a report by sociology professor Donald Hernandez who compared reading scores and graduation rates of almost 4,000 students. 'A student who can't read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time. Add poverty to the mix, and a student is 13 times less likely to graduate on time than his or her proficient, wealthier peer,' read the report."

The GET LIT challenge is the result of someone getting involved. As a company, we may only end up sponsoring 10 adults or children, instead of our 44 – 55 goal. And that is okay, because over 200 Bellator members were made aware, or at least received an awareness renewal of the literacy problems that our community faces. That touch to 200+ people will eventually help thousands of people over time, just from this one idea. That is what it is all about, and it starts with someone's idea and passion, and most importantly, someone's ACTION.

We certainly have a lot of community involvement going on within Bellator. It's really crazy if you think about it . . . our communities really operate on volunteer time. Charities, committees, commissions, boards, PTO's, fund raisers, ticket takers, game announcers, tutors - you name it! If all the volunteering stopped, our world would crash around us. Volunteering is crucial to the survival and betterment of all the communities where we work and live.

Involvement and volunteering could possibly have the highest return on investment than any activity a REALTOR® does. Does volunteering pay back more than the cost of Zillow leads? Does getting involved market yourself to others in the community? You bet your sweet "butterfly effect" it does. To the point where it may cost you more not being involved than it does giving some hours of your time.

It is not about the payback. As said above, if all the volunteering stopped, our world would crash around us. We need to be involved just to keep the community humming. With the grace of a growth mindset, the involvement payback is exponential. I can not think of a better "win-win" for us all.

AAC and Stephanie, thank you for the GET LIT challenge. We and many others will benefit from your ACTION. There are so many opportunities in the world that can use volunteers, be aware and get involved. You will be grateful.