ThisWeek CW 06/14/2012

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2012/06/12/volunteers-help-clean-up-city-intersections.html

Members of the Southeast Area Realty Association partnered with the city to clean up Gender Road June 6 as part of the Columbus Board of Realtors Realtor Care Day.

Realtor Care Day started in 2005 with a single service project. Since then, it has grown to include multiple projects and more than 400 participants annually, including partnerships with communities and other organizations.

This year, 22 area realty associations worked on 34 projects throughout central Ohio.

“The city of Canal Winchester donated supplies to us for picking up trash and then came by when we were done to haul our bags away,” said Pam Allen, who chaired the local Realtor Care Day Committee. “We picked up about 30 full bags of trash around the Waterloo and Gender Road intersection. We also raised $200 to donate to the Community Food Bank in Canal Winchester.”

The SEARA membership is made up of Realtors, bankers and title company employees.

According to Allen, out of the 20 active SEARA members, 12 came out to volunteer their time to the community project last week.

“For the smaller group we have down here, we got a lot done and we’re so happy that over half our members were able to show up and help,” she said.

In addition to the local projects, the Columbus Board of Realtors itself focuses efforts on a single, primary project each year. This year’s project was to complete home repairs and improvements for five homes along Sampson Avenue in Columbus.

Those volunteers worked on landscaping, painting, fixing gutters and carpeting projects.

For the Sampson Avenue work, the CBR partnered with Homeport Ohio, an organization focused on fostering community development and providing safe, decent and affordable housing options to central Ohioans.

CBR spokesperson Marque Bressler said the event raised $32,000 in community investment.

“Realtors give back every day through volunteerism,” CBR president James Coridan said. “Realtor Care Day allows us to use the power of numbers to make a difference for our communities, its service providers and residents.”