It was so successful that we wanted to share it with other communities

Yep, it was such a smashing success that during the next 2 years a company emerged that built one of the first CMS styled network of sites that anyone could manage with no website experience at all.
REALTORS across the country signed up to sponsor their own community web sites. But sadly, most lost the intention of the whole thing. They forgot that it was supposed to be a way to HELP their community - not just make money. They promoted themselves, their homes for sale and forgot about the most important thing- The Community, The Neighborhood or Small Town and the residents that called each place home.

Now today most of those REALTORS are gone- washed out with the flood of bad decisions that created the current economic environment. Most- but not all. Those that got involved way back then are still the driving force behind their community web center. They do not use it to promote themselves, but instead to help the community.

Does it help them in their business? Of course it does. But only because they are recognized as what they are- people that care about their community and the people that live there. They just happen to be REALTORS too.

During the last year we have rediscovered our mission - To help Communities, Neighborhoods and Small Towns. Sure we need to pay for the infrastructure, support, technology and service that makes the whole thing work. But if we are doing the right thing that will happen anyway.

So we ask you to follow an adventure that we have dedicated this last year towards- one where we forget all about customers and take a Small town website and approach a strong United Methodist Church and ask them to be the Neighborhood Ambassador for their town of Winter Park, Florida. No cost involved for them, but a way for them to reach out to the community and help those in need.

So follow us as we bring together a community, a church, sponsoring merchants and residents to form a strong and healing community during this year and starting in 2011.

The beginning- How it all started.

Way back in 1998 we were just a couple of REALTORS in a small community close to downtown Orlando. It was a cute place with it's own shopping district surrounded with homes built during the 20's to the early 70's. You know the kind of place we mean- trees, brick streets and homes with hard wood floors and porches.
We loved it!
But it was missing something.

It's own community web site we could all use to find all our merchants, craftsmen, stores and restaurants. But even more, we needed to be able to share information, discuss things that were important to our community and help each other when a resident or family had a need that we could all step up and meet.

So that is what we did.

We built it, gave it to the community and then we managed it. Every day there was fresh news posted by the community. Everyone could get involved in discussions  about things that impacted their lives. Churches and schools could get the word out about events and programs that could serve the community. And there was a very important part of our neighborhood web site- Helping Hands.

Helping Hands was a place that a need could be posted and the community could meet.

We were now People Helping People. And the stories were really cool.

 Things like a disabled man that needed a bicycle to reach work each day to the Mother that could not afford a cub scout uniform for her Fatherless Son.

So what happened next?

Read the next post.