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Operation Christmas - Holiday Gift Bags for Deployed US Troops

By Margaret Woda

Real Estate Agent with Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

October 01, 2010 04:08 PM

Operation Christmas Stocking

OPERATION CHRISTMAS - 2010

Operation Christmas is our own local piece of Operation Christmas Stocking, a seasonal project of OperationGive.org.

This is something I introduced at my previous company, and I wasn't willing to leave it behind when I changed to a different broker. That's probably because of my own family's experience with holiday deployment during wartime - my husband, dad, and grandfather. I guess you could say I have a soft spot for deployed U.S. troops, especially during the holidays. It turns out that I'm not the only one in my office who feels that way.

I proposed Operation Christmas to the agents at a Wednesday sales meeting last October and, by Monday, my office was filled with so many bags of stuff from the local Dollar Tree that I could barely even open the door, let alone walk to my desk. We ended up beating our goal of 100 gift bags and we hope to fill 150 of them this year.

Here's a video record of our effort in 2009:

If this is something you'd like to do in your office, feel free to contact me for shortcuts we learned through trial and error last year.

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Charles Edwards Bentonville

Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette 479-253-3796 - Bentonville, AR

AR REALTOR, Bentonville Real Estate Agent and Broker

Margaret, Heart warming and thoughtful! Great idea.

Oct 01, 2010 04:27 PM

Diane Williams

Pell City, AL

This is so wonderful, and it make you feel good to give back to our guys/gals defending our country.

Good Stuff!!

Oct 01, 2010 04:47 PM

Jeff Belonger

Social Media - Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc - Cherry Hill, NJ

The FHA Expert - FHA Loans - FHA mortgages - USDA loans - VA Loans

Margaret... a really good cause here... and helping those service men and women overseas. And that they are thought of... and that we can show how their sacrifices mean so much to us.. I can remember when I was in the service and away from home. I was always in the states, but just being away... it's nice when others reach out.. it makes you, the person receiving the gifts, feeling special and like someone cares. It also makes the person giving these gifts and or thoughts feeling special also. Thanks for sharing.

jeff belonger

Oct 01, 2010 04:59 PM

Margaret Woda

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD

Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

'Hoping some other folks will want to participate in this - if not through organizing your own office, feel free to help us out - maybe you've got some promotional items in your office, such as pens you'd like to send us... LOL

Charles - Fun for us, and I hope it helps them feel a little more appreciated

Diane - It's such an easy thing to do. I couldn't believe how many participated.

Jeff - I'm sure that's true, whether you're deployed overseas or "just" located far from home in the good ol' USA.

Oct 01, 2010 05:08 PM

Lee & Pamela St. Peter

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC

Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

You all should be so proud of your office... Fabulous way to say thanks to our troops. Good luck meeting your goal of 150 bags this year!

Oct 01, 2010 05:25 PM

Pat Haddad, ABR, CRS, ePRO, GRI

Keller Williams Indianapolis Metro NE - Carmel, IN

Carmel, Fishers, Westfield IN Real Estate Expert

Margaret--What a wonderful way to say thanks to those brave people protecting us here, safe at home. It is doubtful that there is anyone who has not been touched in some way by the military. I am going to look into this. Thanks for sharing the information!

Oct 01, 2010 06:17 PM

Simon Mills

Mills Realty - Toluca Lake, CA

There is no one that should be thanked more than our troops who defend us everyday. Thanks you for organizing this very worthy effort.

Oct 01, 2010 06:45 PM

Cindy Jones

Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA

Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

I'm glad to see you roll this out again this year. I'm going to see if I can get it going in my neighborhood as well.

Oct 01, 2010 11:14 PM

Susan Haughton

Long and Foster REALTORS (703) 470-4545 - Alexandria, VA

Susan & Mindy Team...Honesty. Integrity. Results.

THAT is a wonderful cause; my husband is no longer on active duty, but this is something near and dear to my heart. I will say this for L&F - they certainly encourage their agents to give back. We do a big push at Christmas for Toys for Tots as well as providing gifts for dozens of needy local families and gift bags for seniors. That is not to mention all the agents who tutor and help out all year round. I am very proud of all of our agents!

Oct 02, 2010 01:10 AM

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee

SWBC Mortgage 410-960-2061 - Baltimore, MD

Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS#196068

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

My family has always "adopted" families during the holidays. As a child, I remember my mother loading up the station wagon with huge laundry baskets filled with food...Like you, I took that idea to the companies I have worked for and it has grown to a huge group of family and friends "adopting" an ever-growing list of folks in need.

The blessing that you and your colleagues send to the troops will remain in your hearts and theirs for years to come. I bet some of them take that giving feeling with them and will continue to spread the love. I love that the real estate community is so involved, thank you for all you do!

Oct 02, 2010 03:15 AM

Margaret Woda

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD

Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

Lee & Pamela - The amazing thing about this is that we announced it on a Wednesday, and had 150 gift bags shipped a week later. I think the "urgency" of a short time-frame may have helped... we'll see since the agents have 2-weeks notice this year.

Pat - If you're interested, give me a call and I'll tell you how we did this with such great results in such a short time.

Simon - Isn't that the truth... they're risking their lives to preserve our safety and freedom, as our military personnel have done for decades.

Oct 02, 2010 05:22 AM

Margaret Woda

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD

Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

Cindy, we had agents participate in this that I never even saw before... they came out of the woodwork to participate~

Susan, yes... our office does Toys for Tots in December, Harvest for the Hungry (BIG push in November, but all year round, and now Operation Christmas in October.

Bridget, my involvement is so teeny compared to so many people, and I am thrilled to see such buy-in from the people I work with.

Oct 02, 2010 05:25 AM

Ellie McIntire

Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate - Ellicott City, MD

Luxury service in Central Maryland

Margaret- I think this is a great thing for ALL LONG AND FOSTER offices to take on. Tis the season to really say thank you to our deployed soldiers.

Oct 04, 2010 04:17 AM

Margaret Woda

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD

Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

Ellie - I think all L&F offices are very active in their communities, but this was adopted very quickly by my office last year. They didn't seem to mind one extra "good cause." And it's something our clients can get behind, so we can use it as an excuse to contact them.

Oct 04, 2010 04:25 AM