Howard Friedman, CCIM, presents a $2,500.00 check from the National Association of Realtors to Gwenn Wysling, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Inn homeless shelter in Bend and Redmond. Friedman, a Principal Broker with Compass Commercial Real Estate in Bend, Oregon, was recently named one of five honorable mentions, along with five winners, of the NAR Good Neighbor Award and attended the honors ceremony In Boston, Massachusetts at the annual NAR convention on November 9th. The Good Neighbor Society celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, honoring 10 new members annually for their work with non-profits in their area.
“[Howard’s] compassion and care have been instrumental in advancing our mission and vision,” Gwenn shared. “The generous donation associated with this award will directly support our meal program, allowing us to continue providing nourishing meals to the families and individuals staying at the Inn. These efforts ensure they are well-fed and supported as they work toward rebuilding their lives.”
Friedman has volunteered with Bethlehem Inn for nearly 20 years, cooking and serving dinners monthly since prior to 2006, and is serving on the Board of Directors for his third term, having acted as Board President in 2019 and 2020. He also worked on the fundraising committee that raised over nine million dollars to build the new Bend facility, helped design the commercial kitchen, and facilitated the purchase of the Redmond shelter through his real estate experience. Bethlehem Inn, with locations in both Redmond and Bend, has been operating in Central Oregon since 1999 and warmly accepts volunteers at both locations. Bethlehem Inn’s Mission Statement is ‘Transforming Lives Together Through Shelter, Help and Hope’.
Friedman also serves as Board President of the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) a non-profit organization that creates opportunities through competitive snow sports programs to support athletes in achieving their individual athletic, academic, and personal goals.
Read more about Howard Friedman, CCIM at compasscommercial.com/howard.
Learn more about Bethlehem Inn by clicking here