Amy Brooks has been a REALTOR^® for 24 years. During that time, she has accomplished a lot, joining the RE/MAX hall of fame and receiving the company’s lifetime achievement award. 

However, one constant throughout her career has been supporting local housing and shelter initiatives through CREB^® REALTOR^® Community Foundation.

“I think that it's always been in my nature to donate to the foundation,” said Brooks. “I don't think I've ever questioned that.”

Brooks and her husband, architect Louis Keene, are both passionate about housing. That passion extends from her day-to-day work in real estate to her charitable giving and volunteer pursuits, including a seven-year stint on the board of the Palliser Bayview Pumphill Community Association and her ongoing participation on CREB^®’s Inquiry Committee.

“Housing, for me, is all about feeling good within your space,” she said. “I feel safe coming home, it's my place where I can relax and where I embrace my family and my friends. I think our homes are our safe haven.”

Brooks understands that many people don’t have access to that safe haven, but she wants to change that. Through a monthly donation of as little as $20, Brooks and other Friends of the Foundation help to create new housing, keep people housed, and improve housing quality in Calgary and surrounding areas.

“I think, as REALTORS^®, we all support housing and shelter. I mean, that's really what we're all about,” she said.

“The foundation provides housing and shelter support for those who need it . . . people that might not have thought it was ever possible for them.”

With that in mind, Brooks hopes other REALTORS^® who haven’t already will consider becoming a Friend of the Foundation – channeling their love of real estate and housing into an important cause that will strengthen the communities they serve.

“It can give a lot of people hope that didn't have hope before,” she said. “It improves our community and the quality of life for the people that live there.”