Michele De Fehr
“
Home is the starting place of love, hope, and dreams.”
Unknown
But for many less fortunate living in our communities, those words are lost. As REALTORS®, we spend our days (and often nights) helping clients purchase and sell properties that create warmth, security, safety, and happiness, from first-time homeowners to emptynesters and everyone in between. But there is another world . . . homelessness . . . a world that can come from any family status. It can start from the loss of a job or marriage, depression, mental issues, or alcohol or drug addiction. Without a home, necessities like warm winter clothing, blankets and sleeping bags are not accessible. In 1994, REALTORS® Don MacKay, Dick Coates, Frank Hannig, and Stephen Crawford were on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver when they saw a need. They knew they could help those living outside in the cold and rain by rallying colleagues to collect blankets for the homeless. And thus began the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive, now the largest,
Michele De Fehr with Lorne MacInnes at sorting party
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longest-running blanket drive in the region. Last year was our 24th year. Each year, REALTOR® volunteers gather and distribute donations to charities from Squamish to Hope. Over the years, more than 345,975 people in need throughout the Lower Mainland have been given blankets and warm clothing. More than 100 real estate offices act as drop-off locations for donations.
Over the years, more than 345,975 people in need throughout the Lower Mainland have been given blankets and warm clothing I was a REALTOR® for only 6 months when my receptionist asked if I wanted to coordinate something called the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive and I agreed. Now going into my 12th year as coordinator for North Shore real estate offices, I look back
Loading bags for delivery at Ferguson Moving and Storage The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
Photo credit: Kevin Clark
Making a Difference by Working Together and am proud of how it has grown . . . not just the number of donations of warm winter clothing, new socks and underwear, coats, hats, blankets, and sleeping bags but in the awareness that has spread about the Blanket Drive and the people it helps. Throughout the years, I have tried to think of ways to expand the awareness and support to create more donations. On the North Shore, we set up drop-off locations during the week-long Blanket Drive. We have wonderful REALTORS® who volunteer their time in Capilano Mall, Lynn Valley Centre, and Park Royal Mall collecting donations and giving information to the residents of our neighbourhoods. It is a fantastic way to give back to our communities and show we care— and it feels great! We also have a pizza “sorting party,” started as a way to get other REALTORS® from my office to help empty bags and sort them into the various categories ready for delivery. The pizza is now sponsored by Gibbard Group Financial and we have door prizes, as well. Many different North Shore real estate offices participate, as well as their family members.
REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive sorted bags Volume 27 Number 4 Winter 2018
