0/06/03

CBDFW’S COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT TO GATHER CARE PACKAGE GOODS FOR OVERSEAS MILITARY GETS “A HUGE THANK YOU” FROM TROOPS IN IRAQ

By Staff
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

IRVING, TX – July 6, 2003 - American troops serving overseas during the ongoing Mideast conflict are far away from home in difficult circumstances, but many are receiving packages from U.S. friends during Operation KLIF-Radio Care Package. A recent letter from an Army National Guard officer in Iraq illustrates how important the donation program has been for his division.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Dallas/Fort Worth (CBDFW), was one of numerous area firms that gathered 208,000 pounds of supplies for troops – enough to fill four moving vans. “A huge thank you goes out to you,” said a spokesman for KLIF who also thanked Operation Interdependence™ for help in getting supplies shipped overseas. Talk show host Greg Knapp launched the program early in the Iraqi conflict, and promotional director Heather Gooze engineered much of the activity.

Albert R. Renteria, CWO4 USMC (Ret) and founder of Operation Interdependence™, shared a letter from Commander Timothy “Drew” Ryan of the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion of the California Army National Guard written to Dallas donors. “I cannot begin to tell you how grateful my soldiers and I are when we receive goodie boxes from your ‘Platoons of volunteers’. I am overwhelmed at the support, gratitude, and generosity of countless numbers of the school children, retirees, small businesses, neighbors and friends…(supporting) this operation,” his letter states.

“We have been very fortunate…to get these packages out to the forward deployed soldiers who really need them. Some of my soldiers who don’t have access to regular showers, hot meals, and cold water really appreciate being able to take a ‘baby-wipe bath’ and enjoy some beef jerky or candy instead of ‘yet another MRE’. I know that you have been a great support to our Brigade (205th MI) and I hope that you have had a moment to look at our website (www.calguard.ca.gov/223mi) to see some of the happy faces that you have made with your support. Again, one thousand thank yous for a (continuing) job well done. Service never ends for a Marine! Semper Fi.”

“This was an amazingly successful program that touched the hearts of everyone involved,” says Cindy Colangelo, vice president of relocation/client development for CBDFW. “We’ve temporarily suspended collections because response was so overwhelming.” She reports that all 19 CBDFW office and more than 1,600 sales associates and staff members contributed to the thousands of pounds of cookies, personal items and necessary products gathered for the program. “Evelyn Anderson, relocation account manager, brought our attention to this terrific program and got immediate support.”

“More than 1,000 people donated needed items, not only collecting things but also loading goods for transportation to the packing parties and donating time and energy for the program.” Atlas Van Lines’ local affiliate Imlach & Collins Brothers Movers, a CBDFW’s Concierge Program vendor, provided free trucks and loading and delivery help.

Participants gathered food and snack packages, disposable cameras, personal hygiene items and miscellaneous goods such as stationery, pens, letters and phone cards. “The most wonderful part of this whole program was the way our 19 area offices got involved with the community as a whole,” says Ms. Colangelo. “It was a community-wide effort with all offices working together.

“CBDFW offices each have chosen activities for their own neighborhoods as well as the annual metroplex-wide Habitat for Humanity program. The Care Package program was perhaps the most all-inclusive charity we’ve ever done. Coldwell Banker always comes through, regardless of the task at hand,” she adds. “We’re all proud to be associated with such a generous group of people as well as a project that was red, white and blue – All-American all the way.”

For more information on continuing efforts to collect goods for overseas troops, contact Ms. Colangelo at 972-582-9100 or visit any of the 19 CBDFW offices throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. More information also is available at www.cbdfw.com.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage (www.cbdfw.com), with 19 locations and 1,600 associates and staff, is the leading real estate company in the Metroplex and in Texas, and is owned and operated by NRT, Incorporated. NRT, Incorporated is the nation's largest real estate brokerage operating in 30 large metropolitian markets. NRT sales professionals comprise more than half of the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation (CBRE) which has more than 3,516 real estate offices with over 105,000 sales associates globally. NRT and CBRE are subsidiaries of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD).

Close Window