An army of people is mobilizing to help the victims of the devastating wildfires in Hawaii and together, they hope to send millions of dollars to the victims in Maui.
They’re real estate agents from Keller Williams with a vast network of agents fanned from coast to coast and into the island. And for them, this story of survival has become personal as one of their agents, Allen Costantino, is missing.
“Our company called an emergency meeting yesterday at 1 o’clock for all leadership to mobilize,” said Hilda Ramirez, CEO of Keller Williams Silicon City.
She’s spent the last 24 hours on the phone.
“I want to personally thank you for your pledge to our efforts in Maui,” she was heard saying.
Ramirez is asking every Keller Wlliams agent who can donate money, to do so.
One of her agents, Tabatha Luiza wasted no time in responding.
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“I just received my commission check yesterday and I called HR of Keller Williams and I wanted to give it back,” said Luiza.
Those are the responses Ramirez has been getting from many of her colleagues and she says she’s not surprised.
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She witnessed thousands of KW volunteers mobilize in Texas during Hurricane Harvey.
“Going from serving as an interpreter to taking a sledge hammer, which I haven’t held in the past, and going through and trying to take to all the dry rot and mold that was accumulating,” she said.
Since agents are property experts, they’re also tapping into their vast network on the islands, looking for temporary housing for victims via ADU’s, Airbnb’s, and other options.
Ramirez says as agents, it's their moral obligation to do something.
“It’s far more than rebuilding their homes,” she said. “They have to rebuild their lives.”
And it's happening one agent at a time, agents like Luiza.
“Somebody needs the money more than I do. It was a no-brainer just to give it back,” she said.
