Rachel Xavier, the founder of The Xavier Group, meets new people all the time.
About three years ago, she met Jennifer Kelley, our executive director. The two play tennis in a league together. Jennifer told Rachel about the Auction and its mission, and Rachel and The Xavier Group joined the sponsorship team as a Sponsor of the Day—like she was simply returning a serve.
Rachel wasted no time drawing together the people she interacts with to fundraise—other parents and colleagues in Meredith, where she runs The Xavier Group at the Keller Williams Coastal and Lakes & Mountains office.
Bringing people together to do good is her superpower.
Each year, Rachel holds multiple fundraisers and charitable events—from a haunted Halloween walk in Center Harbor to free Thanksgiving dinners at the school in Meredith. For the fourth year in a row, she and the four-person Xavier Group have also supported the Auction with a $5,000 sponsorship, fundraised roughly another $5,000 each year and helped man the phones during Auction week.
“I’m a parent. I’m a local resident, and I want to give back to the community,” she says. “I love where we live. I love how our community comes together and helps each other all the time.”
Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Plymouth State University and has 11 years’ experience as a realtor and is a multi-million-dollar producer, consistently in the top five percent of sales in the region. She formed The Xavier Group five years ago, and her team sells real estate with a primary focus in the Lakes Region and the White Mountains.
“It’s hard work. It’s a 24-hour-a-day job,” she says, noting her activism in the community helps her break up the pace and also reflect on her roots in the community.
Rachel has raised $10,000 at an event at Surfside Burger Bar for the Friends of Meredith Parks and Recreation that went toward the skate park. She’s raised $5,000 dollars for the Humane Society and is currently planning an event at Twin Barns Brewery, at which she hopes to raise $10,000 so that a local veteran’s group can acquire two service dogs for local Lakes Region Veterans.
Frequently, Rachel calls upon her colleagues in business in the area for support in raising money. Businesses offer services, gift cards, and other donations. “We’re friends with everyone in the community,” she says. “We frequent these businesses. They love being a part of our adventures and raising money for the community. They love being a part of community events. They also want to give back, and it’s a good way to collaborate.”
When she’s not helping clients buy and sell, Rachel enjoys snowboarding at Loon and Gunstock, playing tennis in a women's league at Gilford Hills, and boating and hiking in the summer.
Rachel lives in Center Harbor with her husband, son, and three dogs.
She says there was a time when she was a single mom with $200 in her bank account. “I was struggling. I had three jobs, but, even with three jobs I couldn’t make ends meet.”
“I like to support the Auction because, when I think back, I realize I could have used a little support,” she adds. “I like that the Auction distributes the money to various nonprofits. I don’t want to know who needs it or why, but I love to be able to contribute and know that it will get where it needs to go.”