HILLSDALE, N.J. (Aug. 31, 2023) – Karen DeMarco, a Bergen County real estate agent, was announced today as one of only 10 finalists from across the United States for the 2023 National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Good Neighbor Award, honoring commendable community service. DeMarco is affiliated with the Coldwell Banker Realty Pascack Valley Regional Sales Office in Hillsdale.
Web Choice Favorites for the NAR Good Neighbor Award are selected via online voting, which begins Aug. 31 and closes Oct. 1. Supporters of DeMarco can cast their vote at https://www.realtor.com/goodneighbor.
According to NAR, DeMarco was selected as a finalist due to her tireless support of the hungry in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties. DeMarco was inspired by the overwhelming support she received from her community during her battle with breast cancer; neighbors banded together to organize a “meal train,” providing nightly meals for her family. DeMarco and her husband Carmine, who have a long history of helping the homeless and hungry in Bergen County, decided to pay it forward.
In 2017, DeMarco formed a Facebook group, the Dumont Meal Brigade, coordinating volunteers to provide home-cooked meals to local families experiencing such struggles as loss of employment and catastrophic illness or injury. When COVID-19 lockdown began in 2020, DeMarco continued cooking meals in her own kitchen for seniors on a fixed income and other community members in need. Wishing to broaden the scope of their service, the DeMarcos then formed nonprofit The Food Brigade. This food pantry network that has provided more than 1,700 tons of food to tens of thousands of people in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties.
“I am so proud of Karen, who has always been driven to help the less fortunate in her community. With the creation of The Food Brigade, Karen has ensured that thousands of people will not go to bed hungry,” said Rob Norman, Regional President, East, Coldwell Banker Realty. “Real estate agents develop deep bonds within the places they call home, and Karen has converted this passion into impactful change in her community. There couldn’t be a better candidate to earn our vote as ‘Good Neighbor.’”
The NAR Good Neighbor Awards, now in their 24th year, recognize volunteers who donate time, money and dedication to enrich the lives of people in their communities. According to NAR, five winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their charity, including a feature in the fall issue of REALTOR® Magazine. The winners will also be honored in November during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Anaheim, California. Five honorable mentions will receive $2,500 grants. The top three winners of the public vote will be recognized as Web Choice Favorites, with the winner receiving $2,500, and the second- and third-place finishers each receiving $1,250, funded by Realtor.com®. Winners will be announced Oct. 5.
About Coldwell Banker Realty
Coldwell Banker Realty in New Jersey, Rockland County, N.Y. and Greater Philadelphia is a leading residential real estate brokerage company with approximately 5,600 affiliated sales associates. Coldwell Banker Realty is owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE:HOUS), the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States. Visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com.
