With local aid groups strained to meet the rising demand for food aid, First Team offices collected tons of food and personal care products for regional food banks. In some neighborhoods, agents mobilized residents, dropping off thousands of supermarket donated grocery bags which were filled and returned to offices. Highlights included:
First Team employees gather around the tree with gifts for their adopted family.
Record numbers of Southland families continued to struggle for basic necessities this holiday season, prompting First Team Real Estate home and branch offices to organize initiatives throughout the region to assist those in need.
- A family fun day and food drive to benefit Project Touch coordinated by the First Team Temecula office.
- A food drive organized by the Corona office on behalf of the Corona-Norco Settlement House. Corona also held a holiday toy drive for underprivileged children.
- Food donations collected by the Diamond Bar office to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
- The Fullerton office’s annual food drive, which netted truckloads of goods for the Salvation Army’s Food Basket Program.
- The annual food drive and auction held by the Irvine office, which raised desperately needed
products and nearly $2,000 for Families Forward.
- Newport Beach’s food drive for Second Harvest, which was extended a full month due to overwhelming response from residents.
In addition to these community-based initiatives, the First Team home office and family of companies continued their tradition of participating in the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program. Employees fulfilled the wish lists of four families this year, purchasing clothing, toys, shoes, food, gift cards and other items which were delivered in time for Christmas.
“I am proud of our employees and agents, who continue to give so generously of themselves in order to make a difference in the lives of people in the communities we serve,” said First Team Founder and CEO Cameron Mirage. “As a company founded and bred in Southern California, we have a deep commitment to helping our neighbors throughout the region. Amid the ongoing recession, we reaffirm that commitment as we let area families struck by financial hardship know they are not alone this season or at any time of the year.”