A Maple Ridge Real Estate group that serves Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows sponsored seven families for Christmas through the local food bank.
Olson Team Real Estate Agents managed to raise more than $2,000 that was put towards meals, gifts and essential for those in need through the Friends In Need Food Bank.
Matt Olson, his father Ritch, and his in-laws Sandra and Reynold Comeault, have been sponsoring families for the past three years.
They started off by helping three families for the past couple of years, explained Olson. This year they raised the bar to help seven.
Olson’s mother-in-law, Sandra Comeault, reached out to the food bank and asked to help the most vulnerable people in the community this year.
They were given the names and contacts for seven seniors, a few who have children living with them.
“We contacted them individually just to see what would work for them and what they would like to see under the tree,” explained Olson.
“We did groceries as one aspect and we did Christmas gifts they could put under the tree and open up as the second part if it,” he said.
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The family purchased a few turkeys, a couple of hams and even some lamb for a few of the people.
The family raised the money through appeals on social media, and from past and current clients, thanking them for their donations on social media.
Olson credits his in-laws as the backbone of the project, finding all the of the people who needed the support.
“Most of them said that they wouldn’t even be having a Christmas dinner or anything like that,” said Olson of the people they helped.
“We wanted to change that,” he said.
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