If you work in an industry related to real estate, then you have probably brushed shoulders with the Young Guns.
The Young Guns are the young professional faction of The Real Estate Council (TREC). The group is comprised of a couple hundred motivated young adults. Their specialties include construction, development, architecture, brokerage, asset management, marketing, and more.
Throughout the year, the group hosts various happy hours, breakfast clubs, and mentorship programs to foster professional development. Their infamous Casino Night brings everyone together each year for a themed night of events and raising money — money that goes to a very good cause.
A Great Build for a Great Cause
This year, the Young Gun’s special project is the Genesis Women’s Shelter, a home that provides safety and support to battered women and their children in Dallas.
“The Real Estate Council looks through a lot of applications every year,” said Chair Brian Smith. “The Young Guns are always in search of a great cause, but also one that’s going to be fun for us to build.”
The project for Genesis Women’s shelter includes a new playground. Additionally, the project includes interior remodeling updates throughout the kitchen, bathroom, computer room, and children’s play area. According to Foundation Project Manager Brad Barton, the Young Guns scope of work for Genesis will total $60,000 of work.
What’s amazing is that we can take the money we raised and multiply it 3 to 5 times. Our range of skills within Young Guns is so diverse that we have volunteers who specialize in each phase of the construction process.
— Brian Smith, Chair
According to Young Guns Vice Chair Elias Bahar, it’s fun to watch the progress happen before your eyes. “We had 45 people show up on Saturday morning, and we knocked out the work in just a few hours,” said Bahar.
Member Teddy Leatherman said that volunteering on Saturday was time well-spent:
“The most rewarding part was seeing the kids who would benefit from the new playground equipment. It really was remarkable how many Young Guns showed up at 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday to manually build a playground for these kids. Not, to mention, it broke 100 degrees that day.”
—Teddy Leatherman, member
An Avenue for Relationship Building
Leatherman, who moved to Dallas a year ago, said that the Young Guns have been an excellent avenue for building relationships and expanding her network.
“I’m surrounded by several hardworking, smart, and driven individuals who not only value success, but also philanthropic work. It makes me proud to be part of such a group.”
Saturday’s scope of work included demolition of the current playground. The remaining projects will be completed over the course of the next month through similar organized volunteer days.
For more information on the Young Guns, please contact Amy Stovall or Megan McLoud.
