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By Alice E. Gerard
On Nov. 6, the Hunt Real Estate Realtors and students from Grand Island High School’s business department got together at Hunt’s office, at 2098 Grand Island Blvd., to collect food, gift cards and donations for the Grand Island Neighbors Foundation.
Rebecca Simpson, who works as a Realtor with Hunt Real Estate, said the collection “went very well. The students from the Grand Island High School business department and the Hunt Real Estate Realtors collected a lot of food. We collected $100 in gift cards – Tops gift cards. We collected a $100 donation from a family and a $25 donation from another Hunt agent. The amount of food that we collected was really good. We had some people drive through and drop it off today, which was super nice.”
She said the high school students and their teachers, Chris Simpson and Cheryl Chamberlain, also collected food items at school, and donations also came from branch manager Chris O’Donnell of Hunt Real Estate, as well as from the Sutherland team. “It was really good. It was a great joining of efforts to collect.”
Simpson, who pointed out the Neighbors Foundation helps “everyone on Grand Island who needs help,” said her hope was that the donations “go to families in need.” She said she added contact information for the Neighbors Foundation on the flyer she made about the collection for people “for anyone who needs help” so “they can contact the Neighbors Foundation directly. It’s all confidential so, if they feel that they do need help, they can contact the foundation. The Neighbors Foundation helps everyone on Grand Island who needs help.”
Shortly after 2 p.m., when the collection was complete, the donations were delivered to the Neighbors Foundation at St. Stephen Catholic Church on Baseline Road.
Dave Conboy, president of the Neighbors Foundation of Grand Island, said, “We’re so appreciative of Rebecca and Hunt Real Estate for organizing this collection of canned goods. It just shows the spirit of Grand Island and how we are able to reach out and help our neighbors. We are committed as a Neighbors Foundation to put this food to good use, helping those who are in need on Grand Island; and, especially, during this holiday season, it’s important to help others, given the great community that we have and how fortunate we are.”
Conboy said he also appreciated the help of the high school business students. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
He described the collection as “fantastic.”
“We’ve got a lot of food that we’re going to be able to distribute. Again, it’s especially important during the holiday season to give folks a little bit extra. Not only this collection with Rebecca and Hunt Real Estate but other collections that are going to be taking place for our big holiday distribution, which will be the ninth of December. So, we thank all of Grand Island for that assistance. We also want to get the word out that those in need can call. We are ready to help. Our number is 716-775-7998.”