REALTORS® reach out to the community
The Realtors® Reach Out Month initiative is in its fourth year and Realtors® from across the commonwealth are donating their time to charitable organizations. The initiative was designed to demonstrate how Realtor® organizations contribute to their community through volunteer work. Last week, staff at the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® participated by volunteering their time and efforts at three local organizations.
Last Friday, PAR staff spent time at the non-profit organization Caitlin’s Smiles in Harrisburg creating cards and hand-assembling craft kits that will be delivered to more than 400 children’s hospitals nationwide. The non-profit organization, founded in 2004 in memory of Caitlin Hornung, distributes arts and crafts kits to hospitals, giving children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses an outlet for creativity and distraction from difficult burdens.
A food drive for the month of October was started at PAR headquarters in Lemoyne. The food drive will benefit the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg. Additional PAR staff spent last Friday at the food bank packing a total of 680 boxes to be delivered to various organizations throughout the state. The Central PA Food Bank distributes more than 20 million pounds of food and grocery products every year to more than 600 soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries in 27 central Pennsylvania counties.
A team of PAR staff members also participated in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Saturday at City Island in Harrisburg. Donations of more than $280,000 were raised in Harrisburg alone towards breast cancer research. Last year, more than $60 million was raised nationwide.
PAR has gained support from the governor and legislature for their efforts. Gov. Tom Corbett proclaimed October as Realtors® Reach Out Month, and Realtor® and state Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) put forth a resolution in the Senate declaring October as Realtors® Reach Out Month.
In the past three years, more than 5,500 Realtors® across the state participated with 27 local Realtor® associations and boards, donated more than $153,000 and collected nearly 37,600 pounds of food and 1,000 pieces of clothing for charitable organizations.
For a look at how local associations are volunteering this month, click here.
Diana Dietz is the Multimedia Journalist at the PA Association of Realtors(R).
