REALTORS® and REALTOR® associations serve as pillars of their communities and find charitable activities vital aspects of their ongoing efforts. Deep involvement in neighborhoods, towns, and cities helps real estate professionals position themselves in the eye of fellow community members as people who understand and care about their local area, which serves the secondary purpose of boosting trust and name recognition among the public.

The Community Aid and Real Estate Report (the CARE Report), from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), offers insight into the monetary and volunteer contributions of REALTORS®. Despite 2022 being one of the busiest years for real estate in recent history, REALTORS® remain charitably active in society. Monetary donations increased compared to 2020 (when this study was last conducted) and charitable activities have largely been maintained, demonstrating REALTORS’® dedication to their communities. Members are most likely to have volunteered with food delivery for the elderly or with food banks. Eighty-three percent of REALTORS® said involvement in their community is important to their business plan.

Your local REALTORS® are no exception. The Snohomish County-Camano Association REALTORS® (SCCAR) hosts multiple charitable events every year. Currently, SCCAR is hosting their annual Food Drive. SCCAR’s annual Food Drive lasts through the month of October, with approximately twenty REALTOR® offices throughout Snohomish County and Camano Island collecting money and food to distribute to their local food banks. SCCAR partners with Volunteers of America Western Washington for their Food Drive every year, though multiple local food banks benefit.

SCCAR is the biggest community contributor to the local Snohomish County food banks. “In 2021, REALTORS^® raised almost 19,000 pounds of food and well over $140,000.00 for food banks across Snohomish County and Camano Island. Our plan is to raise even more this year,” stated Ellen Bohn, President of SCCAR.

If you would like to participate, or learn more about SCCAR’s annual Food Drive, please visit www.sccar.org/fooddrive or contact fooddrive@sccar.org.

For more information about buying or selling a home, be sure to work with a REALTOR^®, a member of the National Association of REALTORS^®. Snohomish County-Camano Association of REALTORS^® is the voice for real estate in Snohomish County. If you have questions for The Expert about real estate email us at info@sccar.org, or by visit www.sccar.org.