Volunteerism encourages others to reach out

Last month, the PAR staff spent a day rehabbing a warehouse for New Hope Ministries as part of REALTORS® Reach Out Month. As I watched the local news coverage that night, I thought we did so much work but the organization needs so much more.

PAR President Greg Herb is interviewed by a local television news reporter while working at New Hope Ministry’s new food pantry. (Photo credit: Stuart Leask)

Earlier this week, we received word that due to our outreach and media coverage on all four local TV stations, someone donated $13,000 to New Hope Ministries.

We’re thrilled. Our one day of hard work encouraged someone else to reach out. In these tough economic times, there are still people willing to make sacrifices to help those less fortunate.

As REALTORS®, many of you donate your time throughout the year. Local associations and boards made a concerted effort to volunteer during REALTORS® Reach Out Month.

You may have, as I thought, wished you could have done more. But your good deeds may have sparked others to contribute.

Now that REALTORS® Reach Out has ended, I urge each of you who participated to take a moment to think about how your volunteerism helped those less fortunate. From food collections to rehabbing homes, each of you made a difference in someone’s life.