Sunday family dinners are a staple in Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2023 recipient Dale Devereaux’s house. Often serving 15 to 20 people at gourmet levels, if you live in Red Deer, Alberta, or within driving distance, and are offered an invitation, you show up.
But that type of dinner wasn’t always possible for Devereaux; just like he knows it’s not possible for so many Canadian families. When Devereaux, Broker/Co-owner of Century 21 Maximum, started in real estate 37 years ago, the family budget was tight, and boxed macaroni and cheese was the star of the family Easter meal. But they were together, and Devereaux had a new career in front of him, along with a new home in Red Deer.
With little money to spare, he offered what he had: his time. In 1986, he joined the Piper Creek Optimist Club, dedicating himself to supporting the youth in his community. Those many volunteer hours paid off and, by the mid-90s, Devereaux had helped to raise more than $1 million in support of causes like the Red Deer Regional Hospital’s neonatal intensive care facilities, the Red Deer Children’s Library and many other youth initiatives like the Boys and Girls Club camps.
By 1998, Devereaux’s seven days-a-week work ethic, and investment in his community, was paying off. Sunday family dinners looked a lot different and, one night in 1998 as the holidays approached, an idea was born.
“We felt that we’re a very fortunate family, and we should try to give a meal to families who are less fortunate,” recalled Devereaux.
The next day he reached out to the Red Deer Food Bank and offered to provide one meal for each of the 100 homes he had sold that year.
“Every community needs community builders. Every community needs leadership that’s exemplary, that stands out. Dale has been that example of leadership in the community for the Red Deer Food Bank,” says Mitch Thomson, Executive Director, Red Deer Food Bank.
Twenty-five years later, what started out as a one-time idea, has led to Devereaux being the single largest contributor to the Red Deer Food Bank in its history. Almost 30,000 Central Albertans have experienced the joy of a family meal during the holidays thanks to Devereaux’s ‘Feed a Family at Christmas’ campaign, where he and the team at Century 21 Maximum rally friends, family, neighbours, and professional contacts to donate holiday meals each December.
Devereaux sees his role in the community as a builder working behind the scenes, putting in the hours necessary to see critical projects through. And it was that drive and commitment which made a committee focused on bringing Ronald McDonald House to Red Deer approach Devereaux for his help in 2010.
Tasked with finding a location for the house over a few years, in just six months he came back with the perfect plot of land only one block away from the hospital and overlooking Red Deer. Devereaux’s quick work expedited the project’s timeline, and he joined the committee to push for the funds required to make the Red Deer Ronald McDonald House a reality.
Fifteen months, and an outstanding $12.1 million raised later, construction began on the building that families across central Alberta would be able to call home for days, weeks or months at a time while dealing with the heart-breaking crisis of a seriously ill or injured child.
“I’ll never forget when we walked into that house when it was finished, and it was outstanding. It was incredible … when you build a Ronald McDonald House, it’s not, it’s not just for you, it’s not for Red Deer, it’s for where all these people come from.”
It’s said that the kitchen is the heart of every home, and Devereaux’s passion for ensuring kitchens across Red Deer are stocked shows just how much he is at the heart of his community.
Devereaux’s story is proof of the impact getting involved can make for community members who need it most. On behalf of REALTORS® nationwide, a donation of $5,000 has been made to support Devereaux’s efforts at the Red Deer Food Bank.
Learn more about the other community initiatives led by REALTORS® across Canada on REALTORSCare.ca.
