RE/MAX First Raises $8,300 For Self Help Inc.

Self Help Executive Director Maura Taylor, left, accepts a check of fundraising proceeds from Chris Ortega and Megan Ortega at RE/MAX First. Courtesy/SHI

SELF HELP INC. News:

RE/MAX First and the residents of Los Alamos stepped up for their neighbors this holiday season, raising $8,300 to help local non-profit organization Self Help, Inc.

The fundraising came as a critical time for Self Help, which made the decision to forgo its annual Salvation Army bell-ringing fundraiser last year due to COVID-19 concerns. In a typical year, holiday bell-ringing would have provided emergency aid for as many as 200 Los Alamos County residents. 

RE/MAX stepped in to make up the loss. The company advertised online, offered their office as a coin drop-off space, and even matched $2,000 in donations. They even expanded their fundraiser to include the Coins for Christmas coin drive for Self Help, the brainchild of North Mesa resident Rao Garimella. Coins left at RE/MAX alone represented more than $1,000 of the total raised.

“This fundraiser came at a crucial time for our neighbors, many of whom are struggling to pay bills or start businesses during the pandemic,” Self Help Executive Director Maura Taylor. “Even a small donation can literally be life-changing, and RE/MAX has changed so many lives with this fundraiser.”

“It’s because of this generous community that I can tell Self Help clients ‘yes, we have the funding to get you back on your feet,’” Taylor said. “I’m so grateful to be able to do that.”

Some of the donated coins that accumulated last Dec. at the offices of RE/MAX First. Courtesy photo

RE/MAX First’s Chris Ortega and Kristy Ortega are longtime supporters of the bell-ringing fundraiser for Self Help. In this photo from 2018, their daughter Olivia and her cousin Raegan Keane ring the bell at Smith’s to raise money for Los Alamos families. Photo by Carol A. Clark 

Self Help, Inc

Since 1969, Self Help, Inc. has provided advocacy, emergency financial assistance, and seed money grants to residents of Los Alamos, northern Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Taos counties. Each year, through grants and other contributions, our organization supports those who need help most, during emergencies or in the quest to become economically self-sufficient. 

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