Pa. Realtors® Give Back: $75k Raised, Thousands Helped

Last month, Realtors® across Pennsylvania donated time, food, money and more as part of Realtors® Reach Out Month. From fundraisers to food drives to clothing collections, 17 local Realtors® associations across the commonwealth participated by giving back to their communities. Together, they raised over $75,000 and helped prepare/pack over 4,000 meals and boxes of food.  

“Realtors® are incredibly dedicated to helping their neighbors and giving back to their communities,” says PAR President-elect Bill Lublin. “I’m truly impressed by the lengths they go to each October – and year-round – to get out, volunteer and help build a stronger community for all. Their commitment extends far beyond just buying and selling homes. They are wholeheartedly invested in making a difference.” 

Bucks County Association held two volunteer events at Habitat for Humanity Restore, their annual Thanksgiving dinner collection and a blood drive. 

Central Susquehanna Valley Board collected gift cards for a local food bank and held a Smoking Hot Agent Contest where agents donated smoke detectors to local fire departments for families in need. Additionally, they teamed up with Hailstone Economics Group and the Department of Agriculture to create a Placemaking Housing Plan to combat the housing shortage in five counties.  

Clearfield Jefferson Association held their annual Thanksgiving food drive, providing food collection boxes, window signs and instructions for every drop-off location. Each office then donated the collected food to their local food pantry, Salvation Army or church collection group.  

Greater Erie Board partnered with three local fire departments to raise $28,467 at their bingo fundraiser event. The money was donated to the Home for Fire/Rescue Training, a live fire training facility. 

Greater Harrisburg Association Realtors® packed a GHAR-record of 640 boxes at the Central PA Food Bank. They also partnered with four other local organizations for Realtors® Reach Out Month, including the Brethren Housing Association, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Greater Harrisburg and Community Cares. 

Greater Philadelphia Association hosted a Realtors® Reach Out Day at Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance, which uses nutrition to improve health for people with serious illnesses who need nourishment to heal. MANNA provides medically tailored meals and nutrition education to help improve people’s health and quality of life. Twenty members helped prepare and package about 3,200 meals for participants. The outreach effort was organized by the GPAR YPN Committee. 

Greater Scranton Board held a food drive for the Bread Basket of NEPA organization. In addition to collecting food, they raised $375 toward the cause at their annual meeting. 

Lancaster County Association raised $30,865 at their annual fundraiser – a dinner, live silent auction and red carpet. The money was donated to Tenfold’s TLC, a 52-room shelter that provides temporary housing and supportive services for individuals, couples, families and veterans experiencing homelessness. Overall, LCAR raised a total of $38,550 for the shelter this year. 

Lawrence County Board collected items for senior citizens through Challenges, Options in Aging’s Caregiver Program. They will assemble and deliver gift bags this month. 

Luzerne County Association held a Realtor® trivia night, raising over $1,000 for the United Way Book Drive. 

Reading-Berks Association held their annual food drive benefitting Helping Harvest, as well as their fifth annual 5k Run for Shelter. The 5k had a record 145 participants this year, raising $8,900 in sponsorship dollars alone. Overall, the run raised nearly $13,000, which will be split between Habitat for Humanity of Berks County and Neighborhood Housing Services of Great Berks, Inc. The money raised for Habitat for Humanity will assist in creating affordable homeownership opportunities with and for moderate-income families, and the money raised for NHS will go directly toward a closing cost assistant grant for low-income homebuyers in need. 

Realtors® Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh’s Community Service Committee volunteered at the Daily Bread, a feeding program on the north side of Pittsburgh, on Oct. 2. In one hour, they served 160 lunches to those in need, unsheltered or underemployed. On Oct. 21, they volunteered for their Curb Appeal Day, cleaning up the community flower garden in the Mt. Washington neighborhood. The project was coordinated by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. In the spring, members volunteered to plant flowers, and last month they prepared the garden for winter. In addition, they are collecting coats, gloves, hats and scarves to be donated to local agencies who work with people experiencing homelessness. 

Realtors® Association of York and Adams Counties served over 100 community members during their homeless outreach day. Community members received breakfast/lunch, haircuts, massages, toiletries, winter coats and more. They were also able to apply for birth certificates, take the bus to and from the DMV to obtain IDs and walk away with information about housing and healthcare services. Forty on-site service providers joined the effort, including FedEx, who allowed people to apply for jobs and conducted several on-the-spot interviews. Overall, 90 RAYAC members volunteered, and York County Commissioners Julie Wheeler and Scott Burford, as well as York City Mayor Michael Helfrich, stopped by for the event. 

Tri-County Suburban Realtors® held their annual coat drive benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia. They will continue to collect cold-weather items through Nov. 20.  

Washington-Greene Association held a food drive in September to support and feed local families through Corner Cupboard Foodbank, Inc. 

West Branch Valley Association raised $1,850 for the Lycoming County and Clinton County Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They also collected multiple wish list donations, such as paper towels, dog treats, cat food, cat litter and more. 

Westmoreland West Association members volunteered at the Westmoreland County Food Bank on Oct. 28.