The Lower Mainland’s largest and longest-running blanket drive, the 21st annual REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive, is set to launch on Monday November 16.
The drive, a partnership between the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board, their members and their communities,aims to provide warm clothes and blankets to more than 19,000 disadvantaged Lower Mainland residents every winter.
From November 16 to 23, 2015, volunteer real estate agents will arrange for donations of blankets and warm winter clothing from their clients and local community to be dropped at their offices.The donations are then sorted and delivered to charities in the same community in which they were collected.
Darcy McLeod, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver president, said, “Every community in the Lower Mainland relies on donations from the program and we need the public’s support once again to ensure we can meet this year’s need.”
Anyone with donations can drop them off at one of the 100-plus participating real estate offices. Click here for a list of participating locations.
Jorda Maisey, president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, added, “The need is real and your donations make a difference. We’re looking for blankets, coats, gloves and other warm winter clothing for men, women and children.”
The drive organizers specified that they are looking for:
- blankets
- sleeping bags
- warm coats, jeans, pants, sweaters
- scarves, gloves, mitts, hats
- new socks, and
- new underwear.
Since the Blanket Drive began in 1995, the program has helped more than 275,000 people in local communities keep warm during the winter months.
Click here for a video overview of how the Blanket Drive helps local charities and residents. For more information on the program, go to www.blanketdrive.ca or www.facebook.com/BlanketDrive
