During a recent 3-day real estate workshop, we hosted a fundraiser for “Be the Change” and raised $13,000 to contribute to their cause! We are extremely proud of the generosity our students and our team for supporting this wonderful organization.

Our very own Jon Steingraber took it upon himself to challenge everyone at 3-day educational workshop. A passionate contributor to philanthropic efforts himself, Jon proposed a fundraiser that would simultaneously test our students while generating funds and awareness for “Be the Change,” a charitable organization dedicated to solving society’s greatest challenges.

Jon proceeded to initiate a collection from the FortuneBuilders’ event staff, indicating that he would match the total donations collected up to $10,000. Our students contributed a total of $3,000 over a 3-day period. Jon, feeling inspired, decided to donate the total $10,000 anyway!

On the last day, we were honored to host Dr. Norma Bowe, a representative for “Be the Change,” and present her with our donation. It was our privilege to support the efforts of her organization.

After creating awareness for her particular cause, Dr. Bowe shared information about her “Hundred Gardens in a Hundred Days” project to everyone in attendance. This particular endeavor is a collaborative effort between “Be the Change,” Dr. Bowe and Newark city officials.

At its roots, the “Hundred Gardens in a Hundred Days” project replaces vacant lots in inner-city neighborhoods with visually aesthetic gardens. Its purpose is to provide the children of Newark, NJ with safe alternatives to the dangerous streets associated with the area.

“I asked the community what they needed and they replied ‘a safe area for the children to play in the middle of a crazy neighborhood’,” said Newark Councilman Darren Shariff. According to Dr. Bowe, “the children were excited to have a place to go that would be safe for them to play.”

On behalf of FortuneBuilders, we would like to thank everyone who participated in the fundraiser, give a special thanks to Jon Steingraber for his generosity and Dr. Norma Bowe for her selfless efforts. For more information or to make a donation of your own please visit the “Be the Change” donation page.