Surrey realtors collected 524 bags of clothing and blankets for the city’s vulnerable this Christmas.
That beats last year’s total of 402.
Organizers say across the Lower Mainland, more than 36,000 people will receive warmth from the 23rd annual Realtors Care Blanket Drive this winter.
All donations remain in the community they were collected in and across the region more than 70 charities benefited this year.
In Surrey, NightShift Street Ministries was a recipient of this year’s drive.
It is “tremendously important in helping us stock up our supplies for the long, cold, winter months” said NightShift Clothing Co-ordinator Angie Paulsen. “We see the need in our programs grow every year so we are very grateful for the support.”
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The drive ran from Nov. 14 to 21, with realtors urging locals to “clean out your closets.” Donations were accepted at more than 100 real estate offices. Volunteer realtors collected, sorted and delivered the donations.
“It’s cold right now. Nobody even wants to go out without a pair of gloves, so imagine spending hours and hours in the night now,” said Erica Tucker, a Remax agent in Surrey. “It will go to the right people.”
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Fraser Valley Real Estate Board President Gopal Sahota said the initiative “wouldn’t be possible without the immense generosity of our communities, the support of our partner organizations and the continued dedication of our volunteers.”
“Thanks to you, many will be warmer and more comfortable this winter,” he added.
The blanket drive is a partnership between the Realtors of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, and the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board and their communities.
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Organizers say it is the largest and longest running blanket drive in British Columbia. Since it began in 1994, it has helped more than 340,000 people in our communities keep warm and dry during the winter months.
Visit blanketdrive.ca for more information. For photos from this year’s campaign, visit facebook.com/BlanketDrive.