Fraser Valley Real Estate Board Wraps Up the 30th Annual REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive
On the final day of the 30th annual REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive, REALTOR® volunteers with the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) worked together to collect and organize donations of warm clothing and blankets. At the end of the week-long effort, the donations were distributed to a series of charities across Fraser Valley supporting community members experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, such as Wagner Hills Farm Society, SARA for Women Society, and Surrey Urban Mission Society, amongst many others.
From November 12 to 19, volunteers from FVREB worked tirelessly in concert with fellow REALTORS® across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland to collect as many winter essentials as possible. Brokerage offices acted as donation hubs for REALTORS® and community members alike, where volunteers would work to efficiently collect and sort through items like sleeping bags, coats, scarves, and sweaters. By the final day, FVREB volunteers had collected 640 bags of donations, which organizers anticipate will help 6,400 community members in need stay warm.
Second-generation REALTOR® Kim Walker’s involvement with the blanket drive represents a tradition of giving that spans three generations. Her mother, Cindy Walker, a REALTOR® with the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board and a dedicated volunteer for over 26 years, set the family tradition and values of helping others. With a gentle nudge from Cindy and a natural inclination to give back, Kim stepped up as an area leader for the South Surrey/White Rock area for the blanket drive along with colleague Craig Mitchell.
Kim’s two children now help to carry the tradition forward as the third generation involved in the blanket drive. “I hope to continue volunteering for as long as I can and I’m proud to pass the baton to my children, knowing they’ll carry on this tradition of giving and making a difference in the community,” said Kim.
After the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive, volunteers delivered the donations to charity partners who ensure they get into the hands of those who will be most affected by the cold winter months. In Fraser Valley, one of the partners, Wagner Hills, distributes the outerwear to their clients in their recovery, work rehabilitation and community programs.
“We’ve seen how the donations aren’t just gifts, they’re lifelines,” said Marty MacFarlane, Procurement Officer, Wagner Hills.
The REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive, which began in 1994, has grown into one of the largest annual collections of warm clothing and blankets in the region. Over the past three decades, this initiative has helped more than 480,000 community members in need stay warm during the winter months. Each year, more than 18,000 REALTORS® from the Fraser Valley, Greater Vancouver, and Chilliwack regions collaborate to collect and distribute donations, demonstrating the power of community and collective effort.
As the final day of the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive came to a close, the mounting piles of donations underscored the value of this collaboration between the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, and the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board. While volunteers felt fulfilled to have supported their community during this milestone year, the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive also highlighted the ongoing, critical needs of those who do not have a place to call home.
Each year, after the REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive comes to a close, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board continues to support their charity partners by hosting a fundraising campaign.
