We decided to pick a charity that was knowledgeable and skilled at making the most of donations.
It was not an easy decision, to be sure.
We chose the Salvation Army.
Over the last few weeks, we have been collecting donations from our agents and staff so that we could sponsor at least one family. Due to the generous nature of the WONDERFUL people we work with, we are able to sponsor TWO FAMILIES. Gina, Kristin and Sandy from our talented marketing department have been working NON-STOP on collecting the monies and then shopping for the intended families.
Below you will read Gina's account. I was feeling a little chilly today with the weather being what it is, but this warmed me to my bones!
"Today, we delivered four tubs filled with non-perishable food items, wrapped clothing/toys and other essentials to the Salvation Army Distribution Warehouse on behalf of the Diaz and Maximo families whom we adopted for Christmas. Thank you Eric Duncan and Steve Hetzel for helping us out with the delivery. We could not have done it without you.
I must say that this has been both a humbling and heartwarming experience for us. To take a $1500 budget, divide it in two; loosely follow a recommended food and gift list for these families and then see how far we could stretch that budget by walking the aisles at WalMart was both eye-opening and gratifying. Attached is a photo of couple of the tubs that we filled to give you a sense of what your contributions allowed us to provide for these families.
Though I received very little background information of the two families I can at least tell you this much:
The Diaz family is comprised of Mom, Dad, 3 year old son and 2 year old daughter. They had no specifics requests so we bought them items such as jackets, pajamas, pants, shirts and shoes along with various age appropriate surprise gifts.
The Maximo family is comprised of Mom, Dad, 8 year old son and 2 year old daughter. Son wanted a remote control car; Daughter wanted anything relating to Dora the Explorer.
We bought clothing, shoes and jackets for them as well, plus some other great surprise gifts.
We bought inexpensive DVD players for each family, a collection of popular DVDs, robes and sweaters for the moms, electric razors and tool boxes for the dads, along with a plethora of household necessities, grooming products and various food essentials. We also purchased a $75.00 gift card to Vons for each family, so that they can either order a hot Christmas meal or purchase fresh foods to make on their own. They will certainly be thrilled with all that is being delivered to them next week.
Thank you Kristen and Sandy for your commitment to making this such a wonderful experience for me (albeit an exhausting one).
You two are absolute angels.
Lastly, I would like to say “thank you agents and staff” for your incredible generosity towards making this endeavor a reality.
When I looked around that warehouse today seeing row upon row of other donations, it made me realize how important it is to always remember that “Giving” is the true Reason for the Season.
More importantly, it warmed my heart knowing that the spirit of giving shined ever so brightly this year at Seven Gables!
Happy Holidays to you All!
Warmest regards,
Gina Santanello
Seven Gables Real Estate - Marketing Department
Now then, Tell me you don't want to be a part of a company with such heart! I dare ya! :-)
Amanda Wernick
Career Development Manager
Seven Gables Real Estate
714-837-7753
amandaw@sevengables.com
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