Responding to a Nation in Crisis...

More than a decade after the 9/11 attacks, we pause to remember the lives that were lost and the sacrifices that were made. 

The 9/11 Memorial on the Canal
in Downtown Indianapolis

Today we'd like to share an excerpt from REALTORS®: Opening Doors for 100 Years titled "Responding to a Nation in Crisis":

...On September 11, 2001, REALTORS® across the country acted swiftly and significantly following the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., Richard A. Mendenhall of Columbia, Missouri, the 2001 NAR President remembered, "At first I was stunned, like the rest of America...Then I realized that as REALTORS® we must respond immediately by saying, 'No victim's family will lose their home as a result of the tragedy.'"

Within 24 hours after the attacks, NAR leaders established the REALTORS® Housing Relief Fund, seeding it with $1 million from Association reserves, to help surviving family members make their mortgage payments. Checks from REALTORS® began arriving at the homes of victim's families within days of the tragedy, including funds from MIBOR, who collected donations during an annual charity golf tournament held in the days immediately following the tragedies.

"I delivered checks to the wives of five victims," noted George A. Naylor, Jr. a REALTOR® from Southampton, Pennsylvania. "It was the first assistance they received, and it meant a lot. One was already behind in her mortgage payments." Ultimately the National REALTORS® Housing Relief Fund collected and distributed more than $8 million to surviving family members. "It's made a major difference in my life," quoted widow Debra Roberts in REALTOR® Magazine in December 2001.

By the start of 2002, American troops were heading to Afghanistan, and once again, REALTORS® made ardent strides to help families in need. As with past military conflicts, NAR agreed to waive membership dues for those who reported for active duty and members whose spouses reported. Patriotism was running high throughout the nation and within the local community. Many REALTORS® in central Indiana posed for their traditional headshot photographs in front of the American flag and ran patriotic quotes in local advertisements. Pride in the city and in smaller communities around central Indiana was also strong...

It's YOUR turn to reflect. Where were you on September 11, 2001? What do you remember about that day, and the days and years that have followed?  Leave a comment below.