Bringing CREA’s Social Purpose to Life Through Volunteerism
CREA staff is Powered by Purpose.
As many REALTORS® know so well, there’s something powerful about rolling up your sleeves alongside your colleagues and giving your time to a shared cause.
In 2024, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) debuted our social purpose statement, “CREA opens doors to thriving futures for all, beginning with home”. In thinking about ways that we could bring these words to life, CREA recently developed and launched the Powered by Purpose program in December 2025.
This new employee volunteering program is designed to help CREA and our staff make the words in our social purpose statement a reality. The program supports CREA-organized volunteering events for CREA staff that support housing and shelter-related organizations in Ottawa, Ontario, where our office is located.
CREA opens doors to thriving futures for all, beginning with home”
Powered by Purpose was inspired by the ongoing efforts of our hardworking REALTOR® members to support housing and shelter related-organizations in communities across Canada, as so frequently demonstrated through the REALTORS Care® program.
In addition to making a positive impact in our community, the volunteer events hosted through the Powered by Purpose program will strengthen connections across teams, help to build new skills, and contextualize the importance of our organization’s advocacy efforts for all staff—no matter their day-to-day role.
To kick this program off, CREA held two volunteer events in support of Ottawa Community Housing and Shepherds of Good Hope. Over the course of the two events, 22 CREA staff members spent 76 hours on housing-related projects, coupled with $3100 in total donations by CREA.
Ottawa Community Housing
On December 9, 2025, CREA staff spent the afternoon painting a series of murals in a common area at Ottawa Community Housing’s Bronson Avenue Rooming House. The murals painted will go a long way to help residents feel more at home, and we’re designed based on the residents’ choice of nature and freedom themes.
Shepherds of Good Hope
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, CREA staff had a second opportunity to get involved with the Powered by Purpose program. Participants took part in the 12 Days of Hope initiative at Shepherds of Good Hope’s community kitchen.
Led by the professional kitchen team at the Richcraft Hope Centre, they spent the morning chopping, mixing, and serving a healthy and hearty lunch to hundreds of Ottawa’s Lowertown residents and community members experiencing homelessness who rely on the centre kitchen for a warm meal.
As always, we are thankful to our community partners for welcoming us and for the essential work they do year-round in our community.
What’s next for the program?
CREA is excited to have hosted its first few Powered by Purpose events, and even more excited about what the future has in store! More opportunities to engage with staff and our community are planned for 2026 like greening out community, Habitat for Humanity partnerships, and more.
Stay tuned for more updates about how CREA is applying our social purpose, through this program and beyond.
