Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty Raises Funds to Build Haitian Home

Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty successfully raised over $6,000 this summer to build a hurricane-resistant house for a Haitian family through its  partnership with New Story, a nonprofit that works to transform dangerous living environments into communities of safe, sustainable homes.

One hundred percent of the funds raised by Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty donors, including associates and agents who contributed donations from their home-sale closings, went toward the building of the new home.

“Every dollar raised went directly to fund the construction of a concrete, sustainable home for a family in Titanyen, Haiti,” said Richard Ellis, owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty. “The homes, each built for $6,000 utilizing local labor and locally sourced construction materials, not only help families but provide jobs and economic stability for the community. We sincerely thank everyone who, through their generous donations, helped us achieve our goal to change a family’s life.”

According to New Story, the majority of Titanyen families live in unsafe, makeshift homes without access to latrines.  Many of these homes are at risk of collapsing and have no space for personal belongings, causing the families living there to be separated from their children for safety concerns. Once funded, the New Story homes are typically built within six months and have three rooms, basic sanitation, a porch and garden.

The Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty team, which also supports arts education in local schools through a partnership with the Edward Hopper House in Nyack, felt compelled to reach beyond the local community to “help Haitian families who lack basic human needs,” Ellis said.

“We applaud the Sotheby’s International Realty brand for identifying this charity,” he said. “It really struck a chord with our entire team, and we thank all of our agents, clients and friends for joining us on this journey.”

New Story, a 501c3 nonprofit based in San Francisco, has funded more than 750 homes in seven communities around the developing world since its start two years ago. Anyone can make a donation to New Story by visiting the www.newstorycharity.org.