At Riverside Homebuilders, our mission goes beyond building high-quality homes in sought-after communities throughout the DFW area. Above all, we care about giving back and building value in the communities where we build—and Riverside employee Karolyn Shelton takes that idea to the next level. Since 2018, Karolyn has been a crucial part of our team as one of our Community Sales Managers—but the standard that she upholds in our company goes far past selling homes. 

For the month of September (the birthday month), Karolyn donates 10% of her sales—this year 15%—to a local DFW organization as a way to give back to the communities where we build and uplift the people around us, and Riverside Homebuilders is proud to match her donation. As a company, we’re founded on the principle of kindness, compassion and morality—and we’re honored to have an employee that exudes those values in such an impactful, meaningful way. 

Photo via: https://pythianhome.org

Giving back

2 years ago, Karolyn made the decision to start donating 10% of her monthly sales to a local organization in need. After meeting one of her buyers, Chad Knight, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Ennis—Karolyn knew right away that she wanted to make something bigger out of her career by doing something good for the community. When she went to Todd Greenfield, Vice President of Marketing, to tell him about her decision to donate 10% of her sales to the youth club—without hesitation, he told her they’d match her donation. The following year, she and Riverside donated to Future, Hope and Healing to help women and children in abusive relationships—and this year, Karolyn decided to give even more by increasing her donation from 10 to 15%.

“When I went to Todd to let him know I wanted to increase my donation to 15%—Todd said he’d do the same on behalf of Riverside without a second thought,” Karolyn exclaimed. “The fact that I can go up to my bosses with this and have them always be so accepting and on board—it’s amazing.”

Karolyn’s 15% donation and Riverside’s matched donation will go to an incredible organization called The Texas Pythian Home for Children in Weatherford, TX. With a mission to “provide a safe, stable environment for children to grow physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually to become responsible, independent adults,” this non-profit organization takes in and houses as many as 62 children in need to give them an environment to thrive, grow and live in as long as needed.

“I knew I wanted to donate somewhere that had a strong mission—somewhere that needed to be blessed the same way God has blessed me,” Karolyn said. “What they stand for and what they do is incredibly important.”

Founded by the Knights of Pythias, the Texas Pythian Home is a huge part of the Weatherford community. Known as “the castle that love built,” the home opened in 1909 and was intended to provide refuge for widows and orphans of members who were in the organization. Today, the home helps families that are struggling by providing a stable, safe and loving place for families to put their children. Many children go back to their families once they get into a more comfortable position, while others may stay for a longer length of time or until they become adults.

“The home welcomes all types of families and children with open arms, and they really make sure these kids feel loved and cared for, regardless of the situation they come from,” Karolyn explained. “Setting up kids for a bright future is so crucial, especially those who have a difficult upbringing, so when I came across this organization—I immediately knew that this was where I wanted to donate this year. Any kid or family that needs help, Pythian Home helps—and I wanted to help them in exactly the same way they do others.”

Looking toward the future

As each year passes, Karolyn keeps her eyes and heart open to helping the communities around us in any way possible. Knowing that she has the ability to make a difference is something so invaluable and priceless to her, and we’re thrilled to follow in her footsteps and live by our high standards—to do the right thing.

“I’m truly so blessed to be able to help these organizations—and I’m so grateful to work for a company that values the same things that I value. We believe that uplifting the communities around us is so important as a homebuilder, and we believe giving a hand up is more beneficial than any handout,” Karolyn explained. “I can’t wait to continue doing this throughout the years at Riverside—and I’m so grateful to be a part of such an amazing, accepting family. We really are a family here.”

At Riverside Homebuilders, we pay attention to the communities that lie beyond our own—reaching out, giving back and taking part in the lives of people who might need our help. Through Karolyn’s donation and our matched donation, we give of our time, our hearts and our financial resources to make this area better than how we found it—even if it’s just a slight difference.

If you’re looking for a homebuilder that places the value of community at the forefront of their process, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (817) 601- 6230 or contact us online—we’d love to hear from you and we’re happy to help! 

If you’re interested in donating to the Texas Pythian Home, please click here.