About twelve years ago, I was reading my local paper, The Star Ledger, and noticed a familiar face accompanying one of the articles – it was a photo of my father and a few other men, sorting toys for the Toys for Tots Foundation at a New Jersey military base.
I just stumbled upon the article – no heads up from dad – and read on to learn that when he was a kid, he remembered a Christmas where other kids got what they asked for and he just received a worn-out drum that broke shortly after he started playing with it. He didn’t grow up with much and this, I found out, fueled his passion to make sure other kids had better holiday experiences.
Since then, I have found it inspirational and comforting to learn how others give back and so I thought I’d share this story. I think it’s always nice to know there are good people in the world.
To make sure that their local kids get to celebrate the holidays with some normalcy and cheer, Legacy Real Estate & Associates, ERA Powered in Fremont, Calif. participates in the Adopt an Angel program annually. Lead by agent Georgia Butterfield, the program has provided more than 8,000 gifts over the last 18 years. Many of these kids live in group homes, shelters, foster care, and low-income situations.
This year, the team at Legacy Real Estate adopted 650 kids and raised $12,000 to provide 1,950 gifts (three per child), including 70 bicycles. Each year, the company holds a wrapping party. This year, 30 agents happily wrapped the nearly 2,000 presents. 
For their efforts, Butterfield and the team were recently awarded an honorable mention by the REALTOR® Good Neighbor Awards program which recognizes Realtors who work tirelessly to strengthen the communities in which they live and work. But, the recognition isn’t what drives them to do good for others.
Butterfield’s passion stems from a 1994 tragedy in which she lost her son to a brain hemorrhage. Since then, she has channeled her energy into helping others and the great team at Legacy Real Estate rallied around her to help support Adopt an Angel. It’s what they do – helping the community one program at a time.
To learn more about Legacy Real Estate & Associates, ERA Powered’s community involvement, enjoy this short video. And for volunteering ideas, check out Volunteermatch.org or the Toys for Tots Foundation.
