Shawn Sorensen, Broker/Owner of EXIT Alliance Realty with two locations in Murrieta, was honored with the Humanitarian Award by EXIT Realty Corp. International during the company’s annual awards event broadcast recently throughout the US and Canada.
Mrs. Sorensen has been with EXIT since 2004 and is committed to improving the lives of people living in the communities she serves. In November of 2013, she wanted to create a memorable experience to share with the agents at her brokerage in lieu of a traditional holiday party. From this simple wish, her Random Acts of Kindness Alliance (RAKA) was born.
More than 100 people attended that first event where Mrs. Sorensen and her team held a scavenger hunt, going door-to-door collecting items for a homeless shelter and a domestic violence prevention organization. They also shopped at local stores purchasing items for families in need. After everything was collected the group jammed into the patio of a local restaurant and shared their stories. Every person left the event inspired to continue paying it forward and helping their neighbors.
Over the years, RAKA has grown to an annual community extravaganza. Even during the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they distributed warm blankets, coats, and bags full of gifts and goodies to 200 deserving children at a drive-up event.
“I plan to carry on this RAKA event for as long as I have breath in my lungs!” she says. “I love the lives it touches, and I am so moved by the generosity of the people who show up to volunteer. Many children who come to volunteer for the RAKA day end up sharing their stories with their teachers, and one school even held their own Random Acts of Kindness Day!”
“Shawn has a heart of gold,” said Erika Gileo, EXIT Realty Corp. International’s Chief Operating Officer who nominated Mrs. Sorensen for this honor. “In addition to founding RAKA, she has worked tirelessly for many years with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire. She is a shining example of someone who leads with love.”
