Last month, individual REALTORS® and over 100 real estate offices across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia participated in the 2014 REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive by collecting blankets and warm clothing for the homeless in their communities.
The effort is led by REALTORS®, who volunteer their time each fall, in collaboration with their three local real estate Boards – the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, and the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board.
The story of the Blanket Drive begins back in 1995, when a group of REALTORS® called on their colleagues to gather blankets to help the homeless in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. This altruistic act inspired a local tradition, which had expanded to cover the entire Lower Mainland by 2006.
If you do the math, you’ll realize that the Blanket Drive hit a very special milestone this year. It has now been bringing warmth to those in need for 20 years! According to its organizers, more than 41,000 bags of donations have been collected and over 250,000 people have benefitted over the past two decades.
“I’m proud of my profession and honoured to be part of a program spearheaded by REALTORS® that addresses the needs of those who are less fortunate in our communities,” says Sing Yeo, REALTOR® and long-time Blanket Drive volunteer. “I’ve participated in this campaign for many years and have watched it steadily grow. One of the most significant factors of the Blanket Drive is the ability to see the immediate effect you can make in someone’s life by providing them with something as simple as a warm blanket.”
We here at CREA would like to say congratulations to the dedicated volunteers and Board staff who help make such an important impact with the Blanket Drive year after year. Keep up the great work!
The Blanket Drive is an excellent example of one of the many ways REALTORS® across our country give back to their communities. To learn more about the Blanket Drive, visit www.rebgv.org. To learn more about how REALTORS® across Canada are helping their communities, visit www.REALTORSCare.ca.
Are you involved in a charitable initiative yourself? Let us know all about it by sending all the details to info@REALTORSCare.ca so we can help spread the word and raise awareness for the cause.
