Media Contact:
Christine Edwards
Communications Director
Christine.edwards@Space321.com
For Immediate Release: Space Coast REALTORS® Pack 400 Totes For Hope for Hurricane Survivors
September 6th, 2017 - Melbourne, FL - Approximately 50 members of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® pulled away from their own hurricane preparations on Sept. 6, 2017 to pack Totes for Hope for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The 400 drawstring bags were filled with hygiene products, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, baby wipes, hair products and shaving cream to aid those who were forced to flee their homes in the aftermaths of two of the worst storms to hit American soil in decades.
Totes for Hope was a initiative begun immediately following Hurricane Harvey in an effort to aid those who lost their homes to the storm. Florida Realtors® began the outreach effort, which has spread across the state. They provided 400 drawstring totes to fill and the Space Coast REALTORS® accumulated thousands of trial-size hygiene products to give to those that lost so much.
"Some of us will finish this up and then we'll head home to start securing our own properties and those of our customers," said Lynn Jones, president of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®. "Our buyers and sellers out there are worried too about the properties they are selling and buying. So it's not just our own personal items that we're watching out for. We're out there with our arms our whole state."
Some of the members who volunteered to help had been on the receiving end of hurricane relief before. Barbara Van Dam, Space Coast Association of REALTORS® member and Leadership Academy chairperson, survived the string of hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004. One of them destroyed her office and the National Association of REALTORS® came to her aid when she truly needed assistance.
"I live in the South Beaches, so I've been through hurricanes that have been catastrophic, many of them," Van Dam said. "I think if everyone just gives a little bit, we all get it back in return and I'm proof of that because they did come to my help when my office was trashed."
Van Dam has called Florida home for 42 years and has seen her share of hurricanes in that time. She's also come to the aid of those in need after Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, but noticed that some of the donations they received for Totes for Hope were items she wouldn't have thought to donate, but that could really come in handy, such as razors and combs.
In spite of a hurricane looming off the coast, Space Coast REALTORS® assembled on the morning of Sept. 6, 2017 to pack up the supplies that had collected over the prior week and a half. Though there were dozens of volunteers aiding the effort to organize and pack the donations, the effort took several hours. In the end, 400 packed Totes for Hope were ready to be shipped to those in need.
"Just being an association member and passionate hurricane survivor, I know how necessities are so important, just for personal items when you have lost everything," Jones said. "A lot of the people in Houston walked away with nothing, not even shoes on their feet, so at least this helps get them set up in the shelter where they are or the temporary housing where they might end up until they can get back home and start their cleanup and rebuilding."
Though the outreach had only begun a week and a half prior, thousands of donations had poured in and there were dozens of volunteers on hand to help get the Totes for Hope ready for delivery. Jones said this was typical of the Association's members when help was needed.
"We're just a hands on, get it done kind of Association," she said.
The Florida Realtors Disaster Relief Fund and the Texas REALTORS® Relief Fund are also accepting monetary donations for those impacted by the recent hurricanes. For more information on the Florida Disaster Relief Fund, visit www.floridarealtors.org.
Caption: Approximately 50 members of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® pulled away from their own hurricane preparations to pack 400 Totes for Hope for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Caption: Members of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® packed 400 totes full of hygiene supplies, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and hair products for those affected by the recent hurricanes.
Caption: Approximately 50 Space Coast Association of REALTORS® members packed 400 Totes for Hope for those affected by the recent hurricanes.
Caption: The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® packed 400 Totes for Hope to send to those affected by the recent hurricanes.
About the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®
The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® is a professional trade association servicing Brevard County, Florida and has been providing services to the local REALTOR® community since 1959. Our membership of more than 4,100 REALTORS® and Business Partner members adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in working with one another and the general public. When you work with one of our members, you have selected a professional that has pledged to uphold a commitment to the highest standards of ethics and practice. Selecting a REALTOR® member of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® brings peace of mind for the most important transactions of your life. For more information, visit space321.com.
For more information, contact Christine Edwards at 321-242-2211 or via email at Christine.edwards@space321.com.
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